Storytelling Catalog Essay

“School made us ‘literate’ but did not teach us to read for pleasure.” -Ambeth R. Ocampo

At this point in my life I find myself in an interesting predicament regarding my attitudes toward reading and writing; more so towards reading. Years ago I used to love reading books for pleasure but nowadays I find myself reading things that little to no effort to digest. This includes the very basic posts on facebook expressing one’s opinion on something or articles and threads on reddit discussing topics I find intriguing. Perhaps it’s the severe senioritis that has overcome me as I enter my last semester at Chapman University. As I’ve gotten lazier I can see it start to reflect in my everyday life. Deep down I still love to read but I rarely find myself getting truly invested into the action unless it relates to something I am very

There was never just one person who did all the storytelling. There were some members of the tribe who would be designated for storytelling sometimes. It was the elders who taught the children or the younger generation. The elders taught them legends, lessons, and the knowledge they would need later on in life through stories. They wanted to pass on the knowledge and wisdom of their ancestors. They wanted the younger generation to carry on the customs and never let it die. The elders never want the younger generation to forget where they come from.

I never thought the day would come where I’d have to admit to myself I had an addiction. The hardest part was to except the fact I was an addict of painkillers and admitting it to my family so that I could get the help and support needed to get clean. The road leading to my addiction started with the factors of my childhood, always trying to fit in and not being supported emotionally from my parents. Having a child at the age of sixteen was the second factor, which made me grow up faster than a normal child at my age would have had to. Living the life of an addict was a struggle everyday but, getting help was the hardest part of it all. I’ll live with this disease for the rest of my life because recovery is a

Writing has always been my most difficult part of English. Reading, on the other hand, is something I could do all day; however, with writing, I grimace just thinking about it. It was not that I did not have anything to say, because I actually have quite a bit to say. I just could never figure out how to phrase what I had to say in just right way on the page. My mom taught me to read and write at a young age. After that, I would devour any book that I could get my hands on. However, I have had trouble with writing since it became more than just my alphabet and numbers.

Communication with the American Indian culture can vary from different tribe types. Some of the most important aspects to note is that this culture tends to use many anecdotes or metaphors to discuss their health issues (Galanti, 2008). Sam D. Gill (1983) author of Native American Traditions writes about communication, noting, “Even ordinary daily speech is colored by complex and sophisticated principles of construction and usage, which often reflect world view and religious

Native Americans had their own way of passing down wisdom of their culture. They passed their stories orally, that today is read in history books. Even after the written word had spread across the globe, Native Americans still primarily used storytelling to pass down their spiritual, mythological, and historical beliefs. Many people have heard one of these passed down stories, also known as myths or folktales.

For my senior project I ventured into two different possible careers I held an interest in. I adventured in the art career field and am determining if would be a viable future. This project also helped me determine whether I wanted a future career with domesticated companion animals or wildlife, both of which I love but needed to determine a career focus upon.

The Junior Civitans Club is a community service organization that I have been a member of throughout my high school career. I participated in three Relay for Life walks for life, and helped to raise hundreds of dollars for the Relay for Life cancer research campaign. In my Sophomore and Junior years, I was elected to be on the Leadership committee as a Representative and later a Secretary. This year, I was elected President of the club and preside over all meetings and service projects. The Greenwood High School chapter of Junior Civitans “adopted” a girl’s cottage at the Connie Maxwell Children’s Home this school year. The Connie Maxwell Children’s home provides residential children’s ministry to abused, abandoned, and neglected children.

Lying on the uncomfortable, terrible, backstabbing prison mattress, I am feeling exhausted. I hadn’t slept for days after that traumatising incident. The fear and pain I am feeling deep inside me is unbearable and seems to become more and more horrifying as time goes past. As my cracked lips tremble, Pearl-shaped tears slowly drip out of my puffed-up eyes and down my frail face, as I remember that unforgettable moment that happened in a split second. I stare at the damp, dirty ceiling with my heart completely shattered, trying to think of reasons why I should live. The more I think about the accident, the more distressed I feel.

Story telling is a uniquely human attribute. It is an imaginative process between the composer and responder that invites us, as the audience to engage vicariously with the experience of others. Stories or narratives have been shared in all culture as a mean of education, entertainment and also to notify the audience of the values and belief systems of our culture. The texts of ‘Through the tunnel’ and ‘Green tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe’ conspicuously highlight the ability of storytelling to empower the individual and outline storytelling as a device to inform us of values and people’s transmission is able to transcend time.

Hearts beating in the silence, runners anxious to complete their last meet of the year with a good note. The voices of fans yelling things we already know vanishes as the man in a yellow coat with a racing gun stands in front of us giving vivid instructions about the next eighteen minutes of pain.

Many people tell stories to inform others about themselves. Throughout my life people in my family have told me many stories, and behind each story there is a purpose. The stories I was told growing up were about experiences that people in my family have had or things that I have done. These stories mean a lot to me because through these stories different family members reveal many things about themselves. They want me to understand their ideas, beliefs, or feelings about a certain subject. They want people to praise or admire what they have done or accomplished. Funny stories are told to humor or embarrass someone, usually me. Other stories express that we are not alone in the world, and there are other people,

The journey through life is certainly not an easy one. As Madonna brilliantly sang, “Life is a mystery, everyone must stand alone;” I believe we all must experience on our own. Although our family and loved ones may of tried to shelter some of us as children, facing our own obstacles was inevitable. I believe silence provides us with the tranquility we need to adhere to our beliefs; the world is filled with distractions, by eliminating the diversions in our lives, we are able to concentrate more on our spirituality. I feel people's surroundings play a big role on their perception of life, being around people is healthy, we are designed to socialize. Although, being one with nature allows us to divide ourselves from mingling with others, and appreciate the blessings God has offered us, such as the sense of sight and all of its wonders. I believe imagination and faith go hand in hand; Since God can not be physically viewed, we must imagine the Lord's presence. Through the combination of solitude, silence, imagination and nature, we are able to develop a sense of respect for our spirituality, and truly find the sacred within ourselves.

Storytelling is the oral tradition of sharing stories and recounting events of the past. It is an ancient art form and is a dear form of human expression (What is). Most historians and psychologists alike agree that storytelling is one of the many things binding and defining humanity as we know it because everything revolves around storytelling in one form or another. Humans are possibly the only animals capable of creating and telling stories.