My husband and I took the hop on/hop off bus tour of Dublin when we visited Ireland a few years ago. It was amazing. At one stop the tour guide announced that Ireland boasted the most storytellers per capita in all the world. Wow, I thought, that’s incredible and it also explains a lot!
I come from a long line of storytellers – both written and verbal. My ancestors hail from Ireland (on both sides of my family) – I’m about as pure as any Irish hailing, 100% Canadian girl can be. So no wonder….
I see stories everywhere – I collect them like other people collect stamps. I don’t always write them down but I definitely ‘think’ them. I love a good story and really enjoy a good storyteller.
I’ve watched my uncle steal center stage at a party. A room full of people will hush to hear what he has to say. He is a pro – he understands that a good story is about detail and timing. Now I can’t vouch for the factual side of his stories (facts can be negotiable) – some of his stories sound decidedly far-fetched – but I can confirm their entertainment value. He is the master – the family king of storytelling. I’ve admired this quality of his for my whole life.
My brother inherited this talent – he can stretch a truth right to the finish line and garner a laugh every time. My son has all the characteristics of a tale spinner too. It is perhaps a familial blue thing that the verbal story telling skills have fallen to the males in our lineage. Personally, I like to lie on paper.
Nothing beats a good story – not even the truth. Which takes me back to the tour guide on that bus in Dublin. Does Ireland really have more storytellers per capita then anywhere else in the world? Your guess is a good as mine.