Stories are one of the most powerful and influential art forms to shape the human existence. Stories have been used as cautionary tales of good versus evil, as parables to teach and inspire, and as forms of entertainment and enjoyment.
Stories offer people from every corner of the world an opportunity for expression, a gateway to explore emotion, and a point of connection. And while storytelling is one of the few commonalities between all 8 billion human beings currently existing on Earth, no story has been, is, or will ever be the same. This week is National Write Your Story Week. The celebration serves to remind us that every story is unique. Whether you’re penning the next great American novel, crafting that deeply personal memoir, illustrating a graphic novel, refining a book of poems, journaling a paragraph between busy moments, or hastily typing up your next 280 character tweet, only you can tell your story, and your story, just like every story, matters. When I was five years old, my parents bought two acres of land on Dehmel Road, just north of Genesee Street. One of the first things they did after the house was built was plant a wildflower garden. They bought a bag of mixed wildflower seeds and scattered them in the long, nearly-the-size-of-a-school bus berm. It was my favorite part of the yard because every spring and summer the flowers spread and flourished. They sprouted up in various shapes, sizes, textures, and colors, and when the many wildflower varieties came together—existed alongside each other—they created the most breathtaking display. A public library offers the same beauty and variety as the wildflower garden of my childhood home. A public library is a cherished space where countless stories live. It is a place where each added story brings depth and breadth to the whole of a library’s collection.
This week, as we celebrate National Write Your Story Week, we’d like to encourage you to write your story, in whatever form it wants to take. Perhaps you write it a journal just for you, or you share it online for others to read. If you post it on Facebook be sure to tag the Wickson Library so we can like it!
You might consider telling a story from your childhood, capturing a significant moment in your life that you don’t want to forget, or simply jotting down something you experienced earlier today. You might think, but my story isn’t that significant; my story doesn’t fit into the larger narrative around me. But this is precisely why we need your unique story. Only you can tell it! Whatever you write, however you write it, the world wants your story; the world needs your story.