Miracle of Storytelling Jody Hoelle, Storyteller

The Miracle of Storytelling

by Jody Hoelle

The need for stories runs deep within the human heart and soul. The need for us to relate our lives, our experiences, to others is innate. We think of ourselves as unique, and at the same time, are often confronted with the need to conform. Our yearning to be an effective member of the human family is inherent as is our need to express our individuality, or Higher Self.

Beyond the external differences of skin colour, ritual, religion, food, culture, political beliefs, there is a wide spectrum of experiences we all share, but of which we rarely speak. We laugh, we cry, we feel embarrassment, we feel shy, we secretly fall in love. The longings, the aspirations, the desires, that lurk within the cave of our hearts, are kept inside. Most of us do not speak our fears, or the despair we feel at certain times of our lives. Folklore openly hands down the secret to dealing with our secrets. Stories crack open the shell within which our inner selves are hidden. Folktales, fairytales, fables and myths can be great messengers of blatant and subtle truths about our shared existence.

The Bhagavad Gita says there are five stages of life: birth, adolescence, marriage and family, old age, and death. We walk confidently through these stages, on wobbly legs. Starting with our introduction to the world outside our nuclear family, when we go to school, we watch others who seem to socialize successfully. If we are inner-directed, we watch; if we are outer-directed, we assume their stance in life, fulfilling the need to bond and be part of the group. And so the struggle begins and continues to mid life. Children have a growing need for acceptance by their peers, and yet long to assert their individuality, and be accepted for THAT. From our entry into the world, the question of when to conform and when to assert is often in front of us...in most situations...until we find our comfort level. Stories help us to identify our struggles, and the ways in which others have traversed the course. The power of stories to heal our relationship with ourselves is miraculous. As Joseph Campbell says, in "The Power of Myth", we learn that we are not unique and we learn how to handle life's challenges through folklore.

As previously mentioned, some of us are inner-directed and some of us are outer-directed, a sociological perspective. One is not preferable to the other, except in terms of what is natural to us. A good example is that one day, a friend of mine and I were returning on the train from L.A., when we were informed of a long delay. I sat and read and contemplated the day while my friend chatted with all the other commuters, trying to learn about them and their lives. We boarded a bus, and a train, and two hours later we were still en route. A trip that normally takes one and one-half hours ended up taking four hours. When we finally got on the train, I was happy. I love to ride the train. The slow rocking back and forth, the quiet movement as we glide along the tracks, the sound of the train whistle. I immediately immersed myself in the peaceful experience of the train. My friend continued to chatter away with her newly-found friends. She beckoned for me to join them, and I simply shook my head, "no" and went back to looking out the window at the passing people and houses. What a joy, for me. I'm an inner-directed person. You could hear my friend and her Spanish speaking friends throughout the train. I wondered at this, since she doesn't speak Spanish, but somehow they found a way to communicate. Inner-directed/Outer-directed. It's important to know which one we are so we don't try to squeeze ourselves into the other one. Folklore explains our journey, the individual struggles we are in and the way through and out the other side.

Take "The Star Child", an Oscar Wilde favourite of mine. The boy is born in a forest, seen as a star falling from the heavens. His father, a poor woodcutter, takes the child home to his wife. Her prayer for a child has been answered. They give him all the love they have in their hearts. He grows to be physically beautiful. Rumour has it that this child was born from heaven, and so his name, "The Star Child". He walks through life unchallenged. But his cruelty knows no bounds. The other children in the village are mesmerized. They obey him without question as he sticks needles in the eyes of moles, and clips the wings of birds. How many times have we been mesmerized by externals, by hearsay, and abandon our power to those things? And, it's a part of our human condition, until we reach a time in our lives when we recognize true beauty. That true beauty is the spark of our inherent Divinity.

The story goes on to tell about his struggle with his self-centeredness and boorishness. In the end, he discovers he is a prince, but only after The Transformation. Suddenly struck with compassion, after years of isolation and pain, he discovers himself and connects with his royal roots. He is crowned the prince of the land and rules the kingdom with mercy and kindness not allowing harm to come to any living creature. He is the prince of mercy and compassion in the history of that land. Angeles Arrien, the anthropolgist and award-winning author, says that in our "old age", our heart chakras open and we view children and animals and even plants with great love. Love permeates our being and we can now effectively be in relationship with others.

We are all sparks of the Divine that dwells within, and often it takes an entire life of struggle for us to realize that. But until we reach that point, folklore is there to guide us to our resting place.

God bless all of you! Thank you for coming to my website to share the miracle of storytelling.

With Love, I bow to the Divine within you,

Jody Hoelle, Storyteller

I welcome responses or comments to any essays on this webpage. JodyHoelle@aol.com