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January 7, 2009For centuries stories have been told and retold throughout the world. How come? Because they are entertaining, for one thing. For another, they deal with the human condition. Even stories using animals as characters reflect the situations and actions of our species.
The struggles of life have been with us for centuries as well. Conflict. Famine. Thorny relationships. Struggles that implore some understanding, some support. Some kind of resolution.
Needless to say, no one cares to listen to preaching. We prefer to take our medicine with a bit of sweetener. That is where laughter comes in. It is the honey in the brew. Witty humor is priceless humor. A unique combination.
As you know, everyone loves to laugh. Laughter takes the sting out of life. And as long as we are laughing at the foibles of others (and not ourselves) we find those situations funny. Call it priceless humor.
Look around you at the great humorists. Dave Barry. George Carlin. Russell Baker. Look at history and the humorists that litter the pages. Moliere. Henry Fielding Storytellers all. Painting scenes with priceless humor.
What makes priceless humor? The answer is simple. Priceless humor revolves about common everyday experiences. The lost keys. The misunderstood comment. The consequences that follow are generally laughable.
You will find lots of priceless humor in urban folktales. My CD Parking in Manhattan illustrates many humorous circumstances. Folks can relate to and empathize with the characters involved in these hilarious comedies. Priceless humor arises out of priceless situations.
You can also find many examples of priceless humor in world stories. The retelling of such stories never ceases to bring gales of laughter to listeners. Two good examples from my CD Fables in Four Minutes are “Rock Soup” and “Herschel in the Woods” Listen to “The Egg Seller” or “Hickory Dock” from World Full of Stories. There are many similar examples of priceless humor from virtually every country on the planet. You will find yourself remembering these stories for a very long time. At www.jaystetzer.com you will find a rich source of priceless humor!
When I am out and about, I tune into conversations around me. They are laden with disasters and catastrophes. The conversants generally cannot see the life lesson they offer. It is my job as a storyteller to sort out the meaning from all the information I hear. To make the tale palatable, I inject a bit of humor. Priceless humor.
Virtually every storytelling genre contains examples of priceless humor. Why? Another simple answer. Laughter makes learning easier. There is often a lesson to be learned through a story with priceless humor. It just goes to show what a treasure priceless humor can be.
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I keep lots of memories from the days when I was a young parent. Not only those high points, but those exasperating moments as well. A good example is the memories I have of buying gifts for my children. Gifts for the holidays. Birthday gifts.
The messages of long ago still have merit in the world today.
Why seek out inspirational stories? For one thing, we experience a deluge of information and news on a daily basis. Next, we live lives that leave no room for reflection. And without time to reflect, how can we develop insight into the affairs of the day? This is where inspirational stories serve us well. A listener can mull over inspirational stories.
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And it is appropriate for all ages, children included. A CD full of stories will provide hours of pleasure. Think of the glimpse it can give into cultures and customs from countries around the world.
You can find three CDs listed on the “Recordings” page of my website. Fables in Four Minutes contains ten wonderful stories from ten different storytelling genres.
It might even state a moral. The name one might give to this ephemeral quality is not as important as the fact that the stories I tell actually possess it.
As a child I found deep meaning in inspirational stories. I heard similar stories from my mother and my grandfather. Occasionally a teacher would tell a story that meant a great deal to me.
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Care for some inspiration? At http://www. jaystetzer. com you can find memorable inspirational stories. Go to the “Listen” page on the site and you will surely discover a number of stories with relevant messages. “The Egg Seller” and “Herschel and the Wedding” from the World Full of Stories CD are good examples of inspirational stories.
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Which one gives you more freedom to choose your own message? Personally, I like to find my own message when listening to a story. The stories I chose for my Fables in Four Minutes and World Full of Stories CDs are good examples of nifty stories with subtle messages.
Nifty stories edify. Nifty stories appeal to a broad audience. Nifty stories carry a message that applies to all people.
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Customs and rituals. Daily habits and geography. So the world stories I hear have substantial meaning to me. And one of the benefits is to see how world stories come directly from the cultures of origin. My firsthand experience of a given culture heightens my appreciation of their stories.
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When I am out and about, I tune into conversations around me. They are filled with catastrophes and disasters. And the life lessons are generally hidden from view.
Customs and rituals. Geography and daily habits. In turn, that lends substantial meaning to the world stories I hear. And one of the benefits is to see how world stories come directly from the cultures of origin. The more I experience a particular culture, the more I appreciate the value of their stories.
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Good is eternally pitted against evil. One can discover the Golden Rule in most plots. No matter what the genre, a good world story brings meaning to the contemporary world as well. And that’s where modern day storytelling has a place. Contemporary society is far removed from rural villages of old, but the old stories still remain pertinent.
So the world stories I hear have substantial meaning to me. In the process, I have discovered how world stories arise out of the cultures from which they are born. My firsthand experience of a given culture heightens my appreciation of their stories. I have visited countries in Europe, Central and South America, throughout Canada, the United States, and Southeast Asia. The differences as well as the similarities of the various countries impress me deeply.
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Something that will last far beyond the moment of giving. A memorable story is that kind of gift. And it is suitable for children of all ages. Think of all the pleasurable hours an entire CD of stories can provide. Imagine the trip around the world your progeny can take on the wings of a story!
My “Recordings” page on this website lists three story CDs.
Needless to say, no one cares to listen to preaching. We prefer to take our medicine with a bit of sweetener. That is where laughter comes in. Humor makes a hard message a bit easier to swallow. Witty humor is priceless humor.
Still, I did not really define the word until I found myself using it to refer to the stories I tell to audiences and on recordings. Actually, it was a listener who called my material “nifty stories,” and that comment sent me to the books. The Merriam/Webster Dictionary definition states: “very good, very attractive,” etymology unknown, originally used in 1865. A thesaurus gives synonyms such as “peachy, smashing, dandy, great, keen, and groovy,” all of which strike me as exchanging one jargon term for another!”
So how do I define nifty stories? The stories I tell always have a message, a lesson, a bit of perspective, and they are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making their point. To me, nifty stories are a blend of entertainment and education, or what some call “edutainment.
Russell Baker. Look at history and the humorists that litter the pages. Mark Twain Henry Fielding Storytellers all. Priceless humor their brush.
What makes priceless humor? There is a simple answer to this question.
As I grew older I heard the word being used in a wider range of topics: a nifty song, a nifty concert, a nifty evening out. Later still, it cropped up in conversations about more “cultural” experiences: nifty books, nifty poems, and nifty stories.
The word seemed allusively defined, yet attractively so. Still, I did not really define the word until I found myself using it to refer to the stories I tell to audiences and on recordings. Actually, I hit the books when a listener said my stories were nifty.
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They offer something to think about. Something that helps us to find our personal “true north. Something that gives us perspective.
Looking for inspiration? You can find inspirational stories and more at http://www. jaystetzer.