The power of stories

It’s said that a better scientific name for us humans might be Homo narrans (“storytelling human”) to emphasize our propensity for telling stories. And is there anything more powerful or persuasive than a story well told? Well, like any good story, mine, too, is in three acts, the third of which has only just begun.

At this point in my own story, I’ve learned that connection and the simple pleasures in life are what’s important. But even more fundamental than either of these are the stories we tell. It’s the stories about those simple pleasures that unite us as a global community.

As long as I can remember, I’ve loved space, science fiction and technology, and believed in the boundless potential that lies in our future. At the same time, my life in Italy — my second act — taught me the importance of family, of tradition, and of all those simple pleasures for which Italy is so famous.

I now bring into my third act the joy of sitting for hours around the kitchen table with family and friends as we enjoy a risotto made with the bruscandoli we foraged that afternoon. Washing it down with a chilled prosecco from a local vineyard, followed by a selection of Asiago cheeses of various ages and paper-thin slices of a soppressa that a friend had hanging in her taverna.

Or of sipping on a spritz after a round of golf, looking out over the Verona hills and laughing about those birdie putts we both missed on the 17th green.

And then there was that cold, artisanal beer we enjoyed at that hilltop café, taking in the Italian landscapes below us, our legs still throbbing after the long bike ride up that winding mountain road. How many switchbacks was it? We lost count.

Simple pleasures. Simple yet powerful stories.