About stories…..By Victoria Iveren A.

What’s your story? according to you.

Imagine your life a book, one that details your trials, triumphs and tribulations. Pages one, two, three through to infinity. Ever wondered what genre of storytelling your life would align with? What would be your story, were it to be told? Would it make for that poetic allegory or summed up in a paragraph or two?
In recent times, I picked up the habit of casually positing, “What is your story?” to new acquaintances and oft-times old (you’d be surprised to find, given proper thought, you know next to nothing about that individual you’ve referenced as friend all these years). A simple yet self-reflective question, as soon as asked, I am visited with that brooding stare from the subject of my quasi-interrogation. More often than not, many a people lose their voice, eyes that held such sparkle only moments before are now a smidgen faded. I should know—I have suffered this too.

Have you found that you’re fixated and writing a story based solely on yester-year’s narrative or excited about the future, looking forward to it with purpose and walking towards it with same?

It is in sharing our story that we find we are anything but alone, its in sharing we can draw collective strength and find freedom. No two experiences are the same. No two people can detail the same experience in the same exact pattern not even twins. So before you dive deep into second guessing yourself and grooming self doubt know that there’s someone somewhere just going through life like it’s a drag and about ready to toss in the towel and your own version could serve as a turning point.

Often times we think it has to resonate with people on a grand scale and so we wait for the “change a whole village opportunity” but no, it starts small- ideally, like all great things do. Starting small with perhaps one person may seem minuscule but like throwing a stone into a body of water, ripples formed from the point of impact might just as well ripple down a long stretch of eternity.
In this piece, I don’t care for what others have to say about you, because after all who can tell your story better than you? So please, burden yourself not with who is listening or how they intend consuming this unabashed serving that is you as is usually the case from a 3rd person perspective. What would be your narration of you? Like scribes of old, pen in hand. Just tell it. Zero apologies!I implore you to not just sit around and be existential, go write/live your inspirational story not another’s… the world wants to read it. I’d go as far as label it a crime to have lived a life full of overcoming trials and upliftment and not share it. What a waste!

Again I ask. What’s your story according to you? It’s all inside, reach for it and pour it all out so we can perhaps have a drink. Do not keep quiet about it, someone beckons, maybe just one.