The Power of a Story

Want to get someone to remember something, tell them a story. Stories are very powerful. We learn many of life’s lessons through stories that we have been told. If you think about it, most religions use a variety of stories to teach lessons. Think about it, most of us know the story of Noah’s Ark, Adam and Eve, the loaf and fishes and turning water to wine. We were told these stories because they contain lessons, which were deemed to have value by our parents and religious leaders. We use stories like “The Monkey Trap” or urban legends like the guy who wakes up to find someone has harvested his kidneys to help us learn lessons.

Some stories are told simply to tell a story. Even some very silly stories will resonate in your mind for years. Stories many times are a verbal record of history. We pass along stories to remember significant events in our life or the life’s of others.

Last night after my Mother’s funeral, we sat around the kitchen table unwinding from a long, emotional day. As we talked about the events of the day, people as they often do as the grieve began to tell stories of my Mom, which inspired other stories of our childhood.

My sister related one story about her and my father that I had never heard.

When she was a very little girl, she was riding in the car on a family trip through North East Pennsylvania. The roads of North East, Pennsylvania are cut through many mountains. Often the wall of the mountain is right outside the passenger side window. Along these roads you will periodically see a sign that says, “Watch for Falling Rock”. My sister was old enough to read at the time and being curious, she asked my Father, Why did they have signs that said, “Watch for Falling Rock”. My father quickly went into a story, which I believe he made up on the fly. He said, “Falling Rock” is the name of a Native American Brave who disappeared in these hills. He was very respected and loved and his tribe was so sad over his strange disappearance that they searched and searched for many days, yet they were unable to find the brave “Falling Rock”. When they were unable to find him, they erected all of these signs that said, “Watch for Falling Rock” so that everyone who travels in these hills would forever be on the lookout for their missing friend. My sister was very satisfied with this story and for the rest of this trip and for many to come she always kept a lookout for the missing brave “Falling Rock”. 

My sister is now in her 50’s and still remembers this story and the memories of her family trips to Pennsylvania. Now, this is an example of a silly story, however it clearly demonstrates how stories can stay with us for a long time and can be easily recalled.

I use stories often when I am teaching people concepts and ways to manage their daily activities. What I have found is that once I have told someone a story, instead of having to go up to them and repeat and entire lesson, I simply have to go up to them, touch their shoulder and say, “remember the story of …” and they have instant recall and say, “Oh yeah, I remember … thank-you” and they quickly adjust their behavior because of the lesson they remember from the story.

Remember as you are teaching others, use stories where you can, for stories help us to remember the lesson.

Oh, by the way, I am sure you will never passing a “Falling Rock” sign again without glancing around for that missing Native American Brave we will forever know as “Falling Rock”!