Power of Personal Narrative

When I was young, I went through apologetics training at church. While I question the value of some of what I learned, the basic notion of learning how to have conversations that bring people to new understanding is a welcome one.

For me, the most currently relevant topic was that the most powerful tool we had is usually our own story. While people may argue with philosophical reasons, Bible references, and other attempts to persuade, and sometimes statistics feel cold and impersonal, personal narrative gets around that. It is difficult to argue with a person's story, assuming that they seem trustworthy and the story is honest and heartfelt. 

This blog has been a good lesson in that for me. As you know, I write posts on a variety of topics - some personal narratives, some recipes, product reviews, etc. When looking at statistics for readership, the personal narratives are almost always the most visited and often also the most shared. This doesn't mean, for those of you enjoying the recipes, that I will stop posting them. It does confirm for me, though, that the value of this blog is not really in them.

My story is a complicated one. Some parts of it are not for public consumption just yet (which is why a post on self censorship has languished as a draft for quite some time - and yes, I see the irony in that). When I meet someone who can listen to my whole story without judgment, or for whom I hope my story will expand understanding, I share it. But as with many stories, mine is better told in person. I wish I could meet with each of you to share stories over coffee and homemade cinnamon rolls. (If you will be in the area, let me know.) In the meantime, if you're interested in more specifics, feel free to email or private message me. I'd love to hear your story, questions, and perspectives.