One of my favorite stories, told by my grandfather (a Navy veteran), is about his first train ride home from Rhode Island. He started out doing some different kinds of work on ships, and was later sent to Southern California for welding school. When he was able to return to North Carolina for the first time, he chose a train ticket over a plane or bus. There are several stories I've heard more than once (although I usually learn different things each time I hear them again), but this one I have only heard once. I so wish that I could write these down as I hear them.
It was late in the morning on one of my weekends home last year, my first year at UNCA. We had been talking about what it's like to live in Asheville, what the drive home is like, and the differences between my drive home and my sister's from Clemson. I was clutching my second cup (just like the cups on Walker Texas Ranger) of coffee, and I am sure I probably had a half-eaten moon pie in my lap.
The point of the story was that he didn't know where it would be better to get off the train in order to save time or money. The train passed through Asheville and Gastonia then, and he figured that Gastonia would be his best option as it was closer to his home in Lincolnton. The train ended up passing through Asheville before stopping in many different places south of that...he said that it felt like any place at all in South Carolina had a train stop. It added so much extra time that he wishes he had hitchhiked home from Asheville and saved a day's journey.
The reason why this story is one of my favorites, though, is because of all of his descriptions of what it was like to ride south on the train and see different areas of the Appalachians. He didn't even really think about what time of year it was when he boarded the train. The first time he went outside to smoke a cigarette between cars, he was surrounded by foliage in the mountains of Western Virginia.
This story is one of dozens my grandfather has told me about his travels and experiences. He uses powerful imagery to relay his ideas about humanity, honor, respect, and spirituality in a way that leaves me with a sense of wonder and value for human experience. His storytelling inspired me to start a program for different UNCA/OLLI community members where they can learn about healthy living and share their stories with each other. Stories create a kind of human connection that is sacred, creative, and wonderful.
In this new year, I plan on hearing more stories and being more open to opportunities to be an active listener. As a college student, it's sometimes easier to interact with others in a way that is less meaningful; stories are not usually time-efficient or labeled as "important" in the grand scheme of things. One of the nicest aspects of human connection through storytelling is that it often leaves individuals to develop ideas for themselves instead of direct debate about complex issues in one's own (or public/political) affairs.
Reasoning and decision-making are often based on fear of loss, perception of future happiness, and long-term consequences for actions. When thinking over big and small problems, ideas about the future come from what they have experienced in their life. Stories, at their core, are compilations of subjective experience and can, therefore, help you understand the person you are talking to, as well as evaluate your own ideas, actions, and judgments.
In the new year, read all the books, tell all the stories, and love all the people because there are many things to look out to in the coming months, and we should strive to gain as much understanding as we can.
"My love was given freely and often was returned; I never came to borrow I only came to learn."
-Gordon Lightfoot (Sit Down, Young Stranger)
