Lover of Stories
I have written on here often about my love of stories and how they saved me after the suicides of my brother and father and the death of my mother. Even after my miscarriage and the betrayal of a narcissist ex, I turned to literature in all forms—both for information and memoirs/life stories in order to learn how to cope with my life experiences. Even the fields of PTSD and cPTSD and trauma, my way of coping was to read. To learn about the stories of how others survived.
So I was thinking then that it is amazingly fitting that I would now spend time every day reading and listening to and sharing my own stories related to alcohol abuse/alcoholism.
It is rather amazing that it works. Whether NA or AA or what other addiction that you have—
It seems rather counterintuitive. After all, think about it—
You get a group of addicts together and what do you think would happen? You’d think that they would drink or abuse their substance of choice?
When in actuality, the community and the sharing and listening of stories is said to be integral to the simple program of keeping everyone sober.
And it works, for many many many people.
It is working for me.
And moreover, I feel that I have found my people. They’re a bit broken and beaten down by life, which I can relate to. They have been a mess and have known pain and suffering, but they are there, and supporting themselves and each other by their presence and participation in AA.
There are some moments when I have to pause and smile.
Because in recent years, I have often wondered if I became an English professor and gravitated toward languages because I was naturally gifted and interested in it, or because it was what you would do in our small town and in my family.
After all, my parents—even my beloved mother who tried and did so much for me—were ill-equipped to help me with science fairs and experiments and projects.
Now though, I realize that I have always been someone who is fascinating by people and their stories.
Even long before I could read them, I would listen to older people share theirs and talk to them, asking more questions to understand more.
I have always been curious about people and a lover of stories. Long before I could articulate it properly, I have always been curious about people’s life experiences in conversation and how they translate to cultures and people’s collective and individual stories.
As a Rhetorician and Professor—reader, writer, scholar, educator. I am well-position for all of them.
:)
