What does it mean to tell a story? How does one convey an intended message with clarity and grace? The national geographic panel discussion tries to dissect the anatomy of story telling. There is plethora of genres and mediums through which stories are told, be it photography, journalism, archaeological research, etc. When faced with the question of why story-tellers are called to arms in a sense, when they seek out truth and seek out graphic display of truth, we must recognize the legacy left behind by the traditional story-tellers they study that allow their stories to be told. From the not-so-ancient griot, to the modern day historian, human beings find necessity to record and pass on history in order instate and honor legacy. Stories are told to give voice to those who do not know how or have access to the mediums to tell those stories themselves. Storytelling is not simply left in the hands of telling the story, it is laced with the
artistry, passion, intrigue, and sentiment of the one delivering that story. In a sense, telling the stories of others helps to reflect and illuminate the stories of those telling them. Such is the duality of it. By taking on the call to spread word of cultures and peoples often overlooked, these artists are able to find out more about themselves in relation to the world around them. It allows for a reimagining of what foreign landscapes look like in the minds eye. It allows for illuminating freedom, it allows for empathetic understanding; story-telling is the single most powerful unifying force amongst human beings. By being able to tell the stories of different places with different faces, and being able to bring light to the unknown aspects of these different places, those who tell the stories provoke insightful and knowledgable inquiry about the world
outside of what immediately surrounds us. Not only that, but it provides intimate emotional connection, a wistful yearning, to truly try to comprehend the world outside of what can be immediately seen or perceived.
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