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Hello, everyone! My name is John McGrail, this episode is going to be Star Wars heavy so consider yourself warned, and I believe that if you’re not learning, you’re not living. Today I’m going to be talking about the importance of passing down your stories and the stories that have shaped you.
So, what’s today’s fun fact? In the spirit of passing down legends, and with apologies beforehand for butchering names, African folklore tales about animal tricksters often describe how helpless creatures manage to outwit fierce animals. One of the most important animal tricksters of West African legends is Anansi, who acts on behalf of the sky god, Nyame. Anansi became the King of All Stories after proving to Nyame that he could trick a jaguar, hornets and a fairy. Anansi is often depicted as a spider, a human or a combination of both. Other animal tricksters common in African legends include the tortoise and the hare. There are even stories of animals who help humans. According to the San Bushmen, the praying mantis gave them words and fire. The Bambara people of Mali claim that an antelope taught them agriculture. You might be surprised to find that many of the legends we know are somewhat made up. King Arthur is an interesting case. Many scholars believe that this legendary English king was evolved from a real general named Arturis. General Arturis lived in the 5th century A.D. and won ten consecutive battles against the Saxons before he was finally killed. If these scholars are correct, then after only five or six hundred years in the oral tradition this real general Arturis had been transformed into the legendary King Arthur who wielded a magic sword named Excalibur, consorted with a sorcerer named Merlin, founded Camelot, established the Round Table, and sent his chivalrous knights on a quest for the Holy Grail. The legends surrounding King Arthur have a great deal to tell us about our inner selves, our vast potential, and our true destinies, while the brief historical record of General Arturis has probably had very little effect on any of our lives.
Speaking of your story teaching and inspiring, the Friday Forum is always there ready for you—your chance to share what you have been learning. You can add your voice to the Friday Forum in several ways—by calling 3048372278 and leaving a voicemail, going to www.goldenspiralmedia.com/feedback and leaving your feedback by uploading an audio file, using the provided speakpipe widget, or you can type out an email and send it in that way.
Now, here’s what I learned yesterday:
We lost my bride’s grandmother in November of 2014. She lived to the age of 92 and was always surrounded by lots of family throughout all of her life. She had amazing experiences having grown up as a child through the Great Depression and witnessing or participating in every other major event of the 20th Century. She lived to see and make great memories with her great grandchildren including our four. Their memories of Granny will be with them for the rest of their lives and they are better off for it. Toward the end of Granny’s life we came to realize that her short-term memories were fading fast but the stories she would tell from her childhood up into adulthood were vivid and detailed. Her daughter, my bride’s mother, decided that those memories needed to be written down before the chance that they might be lost as well. Those recordings are and will be a historical and familial treasure for generations to come. I look forward to the day when my children will be able to tell theirs about their great grandmother and have many wonderful stories to tell—stories about what life was like here in North Carolina for a lady who lived well and loved much.
Passing on stories. While some children will roll their eyes when story time starts-especially depending on the relative—down deep they know that their history gives them a grounding, somewhere that they’ve come from and also ideas on where they might be heading. There’s other kinds of stories too. Stories like the Bible, Greek mythology, King Arthur as I mentioned earlier. Stories that have spoken to you and make you reflect. Stories that help shape your values and lifestyle choices. The Star Wars mythos has been a lot of that for me. And now that I have four children I get the joy of passing my Star Wars experiences down to them.
May of 1977. A little low budget film called Star Wars hits the big screens. I was 6 and nothing has ever matched that sensation of watching the huge triangular Star Destroyer come over and take over the entire screen. Meeting the everyday hero, watching him deny his future then having everything taken from him deciding to jump in for whatever might come next. He learns that he just might have abilities that make him more than an ordinary desert dweller. He rescues the Princess, is given the responsibility of saving the entire side of good guys and finishes like a boss. He loses a friend and mentor along the way that he’s just met but is set on a path that will forever change him, and the galaxy itself. This six-year-old ate it up over and over and over again. And so did all of my friends, most of my family, and most of the world in general. A legacy story had been born.
And then the story kept going. Three more years, then three more. Then eight years later the books continue the story. 1999 sees the origin story begin for the most notorious screen villain of all time. That story finishes in 2005—and I kid you not—now at the age of 34 actually tearing up as the logo hits the screen as I believe that this is the end of this story that has developed throughout my life. But, of course, it doesn’t end. An animated movie, television series, more books, and then the creator turns his sandbox over to new hands. As everyone knows, Lucasfilm is now owned by Disney and the start of the new era, Star Wars: The Force Awakens has now become the second highest grossing film ever and, more importantly to me, the story has no intention of stopping. In fact, I may not live to see the actual end of the story. And the music—oh, my the John Williams scores are the only reason I ever engaged in classical music at all.
What has engaged me from all the way back in 1977 is the core of the story good vs. evil and good ultimately winning out. Also, watching the larger story unfold of evil being redeemed at the last hour. There are questions about why the characters make the decisions that they do. There are self-discoveries in finding out what you’re hoping for as the story unfolds and why. And that’s where the teaching comes in. Sharing this galaxy of a long, long time ago and far away has been a wonderful engagement tool especially with my sons. Sometimes there are stories that are difficult to relate to because they are time or historically specific and not necessarily still happening today and that’s what makes Star Wars special to us as now I have my children engaged in the same fantasy world that I have been in for 39 years of my own life. The lessons I learned, the character traits that I wanted to emulate, the righting of wrongs that I desired all partly come from this other galaxy and now still do alongside the next generation who can catch up on all of the story just as it was first told.
Here’s what I learned: You have a powerful story. Think about the different stories that have influenced you the way Star Wars has for me. Think about all of the family and friends and their stories that have become part of you. Think about all that we hear from each other in this SILY community. I have laughed, smiled, gotten upset, and yes, cried along with all of you who have contributed to this forum. My own story continues to be added to just by being part of this podcast just I know yours has as well. Take time and share your story with all will that will listen. Do yourself and your future family a favor and keep your story documented. With the technology that we have in our hands these days there will certainly be children who never have a day of their life not captured in picture, video, or written thought. Is it too much? I’m not sure, but what I do know is that we have been telling the stories of those who came before us since the beginning of time and I don’t ever see that tradition going away. You might think you don’t have a very powerful story to tell but you’re wrong. Pass your story down for the benefit of those who will come behind you. Oh, and get going on your Friday Forum contribution. This community needs your stories!
I’m John McGrail, and this has been Stuff I Learned Yesterday.
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