The Lost Art Of Pam Stone

Maya Angelou was blessed with more than willingness but the courage of being on display. She's held true to understanding the relationship required when taking the risk of placing a writing instrument on paper then releasing it to world for all to judge. Maya believes, "People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. People will never forget how you made them feel." Such a thought might fly completely over your head. It's the Twitter Generation where we Face Book more than we shop. The sound of the human voice is clutter. Passion is too much drama! People will never forget how you made them feel. How long does it take assumption to ignite anger? Is it even a full second? Lynn Payne was powerful in her loyalty of keeping her Barnes and Noble location in South Charlotte filled with stories about Native Americans. "The elders are passing too quickly," she'd nervously share, "Those next in line aren't moved to listen. If there's no continuation of communication the only thing the future will have are books that have been digitally tossed into square boxes we easily lose." I was moved by her storytelling! But I often wonder how I would've reacted if she had sent me an email instead. My closest friends have tried the route of long form sharing only to learn if the first sentence doesn't get my attention I instantly delete the pouring out of their heart. I'm extremely lazy in the department of digitally digesting and call out to those friends with great fear because of all imaginations...mine is going to create a completely different understanding of what you're truly trying to say. I can't get a coworker to understand how valuable learning how to do proper commercial production is when corporate decision makers fire you during Presidential Inaugurations. I think I see my wife more through reading her text messages than I do at dinner. The importance of storytelling can't find its way into becoming a lost art. People will never forget how you made them feel. If what's been sent feeds assumption where then does reality sit when having to deal with the aftermath of miscommunication? Gary Lewis and G Riley Mills released a book called: The Pin Drop Principal. Brightly lit by the color yellow featuring burnt orange lettering but no pictures; talk about judging a book by its cover! Even worse, the physical presence of a book in my hands and not on a Kindle completely disconnects me from growing forward. Shhhh don't tell anybody! They'll think I've taken ten steps back! They write, "When one person shares a story another listens. A priceless bond is made. Activated are regions of your brain that no other form of communication is capable of syncing with." This is why I spend so much time studying the roots and current tree leaves of Hip Hop. I believe it's the final page of community driven storytelling. The artists fear nothing in the department of exposing what life is really like behind what newspapers and late night news expose. The majority of us do not understand the challenges faced not daily but hourly. We're consumed by the depths of our own footprints in sands that have become stone. Therefore no mark is left for followers to find. Comedian's are storytellers. You don't laugh because the person is funny. You react because you relate. Politicians are clowns. I don't see their supporters laughing out loud. Pam Stone's book I Love My Turkey Butt Samwhich displays the perfect pattern of having eye to eye contact with readers. Her writing style carries an accent. You feel her emotions without having to watch her hands. You see her questioning without generating a reason to tune out. Her writing gifts her with the ability to create the time and space to pull you closer while never injuring your imagination. Have you ever gone back and reread a word dumping on Face Book or Twitter and thought, "That was pretty "F-ing" stupid. I didn't read what the sender was sharing and poof I completely crashed on offering support." We're getting married to the process of writing words without first getting engaged. How many chapters in a relationship are required before a man bends at the knee and says, "Can I text you?" Intern Rob whose now gainfully employed but like a true father your children never grow up...he wastes no time in explaining my writing style, "You're cryptic! Until someone gets to know you nobody truly understands what you're saying on computer screens and smart phones." Do you know where I learned this art? In the 1980's and early 90's I used word formation to heighten what suffering from depression lessoned. I found inner peace using written words rather than seeking spoken story. I had become such an actor that even today barely a soul not even myself...knows who I really am. I use words to build walls only to realize people will never forget how you made them feel. You know what's really weird? I know a lot of people that depend on written words to lift their life. Where then is the crime? I will always believe in you first... arroe@arroe.net