Strength of Story: He Pūmanawa Korero

Follow your bliss and the mess...

(Photo credit: www.michellelevy.net)

Pūmanawa is a Māori word and refers to unique strengths. Korero refers to stories. Strength of story is dedicated to the many stories around us. My stories. Tupuna (ancestor) stories. Your stories. Our stories.  Old stories. New stories. It's about beginnings and endings and all the other messy stuff in the middle. It's about big dreams and believing. It's about being inspired. And comforted. And most importantly its about connection. We are not alone in this journey. For that is the strength of story. 

I read this excerpt from Anne Lamont (1995) in Bird by bird regularly. To me, this captures why I write:

So why does our writing matter, again?” they ask.

Because of the spirit, I say. Because of the heart. Writing and reading decrease our sense of isolation. They deepen and widen and expand our sense of life: they feed the soul. When writers make us shake our heads with the exactness of their prose and their truths, and even make us laugh about ourselves or life, our buoyancy is restored. We are given a shot at dancing with, or at least clapping along with, the absurdity of life, instead of it being squashed by it over and over again. It’s like singing on a boat during a terrible storm at sea. You can’t stop the raging storm, but singing can change the hearts and spirits of people who are on that ship.’

Anne Lamont (1995). Bird by bird – Some instructions on writing and life, New York: Anchor Books.

Tihei, Mauri Ora! (Behold, the breath of life!)

Lisa