My Whispering Teachers
Philip J Bradbury
- We're
- a
- story-telling
- lot,
- us
- humans.Sometimes
- it's
- an
- earnest
- actor
- in
- a
- white
- lab-coat
- or
- a
- black
- suit,
- trying
- to
- convince
- us
- that
- his
- toxic
- fluoride
- toothpaste
- is
- good
- for
- our
- health
- or
- that
- his
- party's
- million-dollar
- spend
- on
- weapons
- is
- for
- peace.
- And
- they
- do
- it
- with
- such
- a
- straight
- face!Sometimes
- the
- story's
- presented
- with
- a
- chuckle
- and
- we
- know
- another
- fiction
- is
- on
- the
- way:
- "did
- you
- hear
- the
- one
- about
- …"And,
- sometimes,
- just
- sometimes,
- there's
- a
- story
- parading
- as
- nought
- but
- itself
- –
- a
- clear
- fiction
- –
- and
- you're
- in
- it.
- The
- real,
- non-fictional
- you.
- That's
- why
- the
- authentically
- fictional
- stories
- –
- fables,
- proverbs,
- legends
- –
- outlast
- us
- all
- and
- are
- told
- down
- the
- centuries
- …
- we're
- in
- them;
- parading
- our
- best
- and
- worst,
- our
- most
- silly
- and
- most
- sublime.
- The
- universality
- of
- stories
- is
- the
- unity
- of
- humans.
- We're
- all
- strangely,
- uniquely
- alike
- and
- we
- can
- all
- see
- –
- if
- we
- so
- choose
- –
- our
- reality
- in
- the
- unreality
- we
- closet
- ourselves
- with
- round
- the
- fireside,
- in
- schools,
- churches
- and
- pubs
- and
- in
- our
- quiet,
- solo
- moments.Stories
- are
- the
- comforters
- we
- carry
- in
- our
- hearts
- and
- minds
- and
- our
- own
- particular
- stories
- are
- the
- way
- we
- initiate
- and
- create
- friendships
- and
- relationships.These
- stories,
- my
- friend,
- are
- my
- offering
- of
- friendship
- and
- may
- they
- provide
- balance,
- smiles,
- tears
- and
- insight
- when
- no
- other
- exist
- for
- you.What
- do
- you
- remember
- from
- childhood?
- The
- myriad
- facts
- that
- become
- daily
- obsolete
- or
- the
- stories
- –
- prose,
- poetic
- and
- lyrical
- –
- you
- were
- told?My
- friend,
- Faisal,
- is
- Somalian
- and
- he
- tells
- me
- there
- is
- no
- written
- Somali
- language.
- Their
- history,
- rituals
- and
- roots
- are
- written
- on
- the
- tongues
- of
- the
- elders
- and
- passed
- down
- the
- hundreds
- of
- generations
- by
- verbal
- stories.
- We
- who
- write
- facts
- down,
- forget
- what
- happened
- last
- week
- while
- those
- with
- just
- stories
- never
- forget.
- Stories
- are
- how
- we
- remember
- Truth
- for,
- while
- "truths"
- of
- scientists
- change
- by
- the
- month,
- the
- Truths
- of
- who
- we
- are
- and
- how
- we
- serve
- each
- other
- never
- change.
- Goodness
- and
- mercy
- are
- ever
- the
- same
- as
- are
- the
- battles
- of
- good
- and
- evil,
- the
- anguish
- and
- triumph
- of
- humans
- and
- simple
- fallibility
- and
- strength
- we
- have.The
- stories
- here
- are
- the
- stories
- of
- old
- with
- refreshing
- new
- garb,
- with
- unique
- wit
- and
- insight
- and
- surprise
- endings.These
- are
- the
- stories
- of
- you
- and
- me
- –
- what
- we
- are
- and
- what
- we
- can
- be
- –
- and
- they
- can
- be
- passed
- down
- to
- your
- grandchildren
- so
- they
- remember
- who
- they
- are
- and
- who
- you
- were.Stories
- outlast
- us
- and
- are
- told
- down
- the
- centuries
- because
- we're
- in
- them,
- parading
- our
- best
- and
- worst.
- We're
- all
- strangely,
- uniquely
- alike
- and
- can
- see
- –
- if
- we
- choose
- –
- our
- reality
- in
- the
- unreality
- we
- closet
- ourselves
- with
- round
- the
- fireside,
- in
- schools,
- churches
- and
- pubs
- and
- in
- our
- quieter
- moments.Stories
- are
- the
- comforters
- for
- our
- hearts
- and
- minds
- and
- our
- own
- particular
- stories
- are
- the
- way
- we
- initiate
- and
- create
- friendships
- and
- relationships.This
- story
- is
- my
- offering
- of
- friendship
- and
- may
- it
- provide
- insight
- when
- no
- other
- exists
- for you.
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