Question from Brenda. As a published author, you share your adventures with your readers. Why is that important to you?
Imagine a time before the flick of a switch invited light or warmth into our homes and before the advent of printing provided us books to read in bright, cozy places. Close your eyes and see friends gathering in a candlelit room, fire burning in the hearth, snow drifting outside. Listen to the ancient art of spinning yarns and singing songs by which history was recorded.
Telling stories is a key element in human cultural development. Some tales become the fabric of identifying legends and myths and inform core beliefs. We relate to our present through understanding the past. When we look at a cave drawing, we feel connected to that long-ago artist who recorded the hunt. When we read an account, ancient or contemporary, we feel empathy for the characters, real or imaginary. When we read a funny story, we enjoy laughter.
One of my passions is sharing stories. While ancient humans shared their tales through telling, singing, dancing and drawing, around 3400 BCE, in Mesopotamia, Sumerians developed cuneiform script. Later Egyptian hieroglyphics emerged. Our Latin text evolved from earlier Semitic, Phoenician, Ancient and Modern Greek, then Etruscan characters. From runes etched into stone, to scripts scratched on clay tablets, to the inking of papyrus, parchments, and paper. From handwritten texts to printed books. Through every stage of this development to modern tweets and texts enhanced by emojis, authors have plied their craft.
As skewed as many recorded histories can be, less is understood about that which no one wrote about. How many of us wish our great grandmother or grandfather kept a journal that survived the passage of time? Do you ever wonder what really happened at a distant event or to some unknown “regular” person?
A privileged woman who has benefitted from opportunities to explore many corners of the world, I enjoy entertaining and connecting by sharing stories through which I consider personal experiences from within wider contexts. Sharing stories – oral and written – is a necessary aspect of our humanity. I feel part of the collective when I write.
Whatever you’re doing this 26 December – here’s wishing you a very enjoyable day that may include picking up a book and beginning a good read.
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