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Mwendo Wa Hadithi Polepole

Hadithi ambayo sitaki kuuza

Jana rafiki ambaye alikuwa amerejea kutoka katika msafara wa pikipiki za kuvuka nchi alishiriki nasi hadithi nyingi. Mmoja wao alikuwa kuhusu wanandoa ambao waliishi katika kitongoji cha kikabila miaka ishirini na mitano iliyopita. Na wao...

Kweli, sitakuambia hadithi.

Kwa kukuambia hadithi kwa njia kama ile ile niliyoambiwa -- ya mwendo wa haraka, habari iliyojaa safu moja au mbili za ngumi, yote ndani ya dakika moja -- nitakuwa nikifanya upotovu kwa mada ya hadithi, kwangu na kwako, msomaji/msikilizaji.

Nilipopendekeza hili kwa rafiki yangu, alisema kuwa toleo lake la kwanza ni ndoano tu (alikuwa DJ wa redio). Imesimuliwa kwa njia nyingine yoyote, alisema, ingechosha.

Yeah, boring. Hiyo ndiyo hofu ya msingi. Kuchosha kungesababisha kupoteza watazamaji. Tunachojifunza kazini, tunachukua kama somo la maisha -- kutosimulia hadithi kwa njia nyingine yoyote isipokuwa kwa milio ya sauti.

Kumsikiliza kuhusu wanandoa ambao waliishi katika kijiji cha kabila, nilihisi kama nilikuwa nikisikiliza wimbo wa ajabu wa Ilayaraja katika kasi ya mbele, au kama kusikiliza shairi la Pavi lililoimbwa na rapa, au kama kuangaza kwenye Grand Canyon huku nikiendesha gari kwa kasi ya maili 90 kwa saa ... unapata drift.

Kila mtu anafanya hivyo: Ma-DJ, VJs, Wanahabari, Wanaripoti, Wanablogu, Wawakilishi wa PR, Watalii, Majirani, mimi na wewe. Lakini tunalaumu wauzaji wa makampuni na wanasiasa pekee -- cha kusikitisha ni kwamba, sote tumekuwa wauzaji wa magari yaliyotumika.

Inasemekana kuwa tunakuwa hadithi ambazo tunasimulia kati yetu wenyewe. Hii inaweza kuwa kweli kabla hatujawa wauzaji. Kwa miongo michache sasa, tunaonekana kuwa tumekufa ganzi kwa hadithi ambazo tunasimulia kati yetu. Kwa hivyo basi hadithi zimekuwa fupi na kali - hadi urefu wa tweet. Tumejitolea sana kusimulia hadithi kwa uhakika, na yote ambayo mwishowe yamesalia ni hatua isiyo na kipimo.

Hakuna maana katika kuzingatia nukta moja. Maana ya nukta inatokana na kuzunguka kati ya nukta na mzingo wake wa asili. Ni ndani ya uwanja huo, mahali fulani, hadithi yangu inakuwa yako. Bila uwanja, hatua hupata sifa za risasi (kwa hivyo tunaziita pointi za risasi). Sehemu ya risasi ilibuniwa, nadhani, ili kukata vivutio vyote vinavyoshindana na kutoboa moja kwa moja kwenye akili ya msomaji. Labda baada ya kuingia, huchoma shimo na kuacha akili haraka.

Nimeipitia sasa mara nyingi katika miaka mitatu iliyopita. Tumekuwa na wageni kadhaa kwenye shamba letu. Katika kutaka kutopoteza watazamaji, nisiwaache habari yoyote, nisiwaache wafikirie kitu kisicho sahihi, nilikuwa nikifanya simulizi langu la haraka la muuzaji wakati nikifanya ziara ya shambani. Ni kana kwamba bila kufahamu nilitaka wawe wakulima asilia na wafuate mtindo endelevu wa maisha -- kabla hawajatoka nje ya lango letu. Hili kamwe haliwezi kugunduliwa kwa kuangalia nilichokuwa nikisema -- lakini mara tu ukiangalia kasi na kiasi cha habari, utaijua.

Kwa hivyo basi, sawa na Slow Food Movement, labda tunahitaji Slow Story Movement , ambapo muda zaidi hutolewa kwa pause, "kuumwa kimya" ambayo inaruhusu nyuzinyuzi, ladha, texture, contours, twists na zamu, nooks na crannies ya hadithi kuwa hatua kwa hatua kufyonzwa na akili na moyo. Mazoea hufa kwa bidii, unaona, kwa hivyo sikuweza kujizuia kubuni kifungu kipya cha maneno ambacho kinajaribu kubeba marejeleo mengi.

Si muda mrefu uliopita, hadithi nyingi zilizoea kuanza na kishazi, "Hapo zamani za kale...," na hivyo kupanua mawazo ya wasikilizaji katika muda na nafasi kubwa na kuwaalika kuona kupitia lenzi ya pembe pana. Kukuza kunaweza kufanywa baadaye baada ya kusukuma sana. Hii inaruhusu msikilizaji kuona na kuhisi hadithi kutoka kwa muktadha mkubwa. Kujikuta ndani ya muktadha mkubwa zaidi, msikilizaji angeweza kuona jinsi anavyohusiana na hadithi, anaweza kuona umuhimu wake kwake na wakati huo, hadithi inakuwa hadithi yake pia. Sasa anaweza kuisimulia tena kwa kuitia moyo na maudhui yake. Hivi ndivyo nadhani tumekuwa hadithi tulizosimulia wenyewe. Mioto ya kambi tuliyowasha tangu zama za mawe hadi hivi majuzi ilistahili kabisa.

Kwa wakati huu, ninajaribiwa sana kuorodhesha idadi ya pointi (kwa risasi, bila shaka) zinazopendekeza mawazo tofauti ili kuanzisha Mwendo wa Hadithi Polepole. Ninahisi kutokuwa na subira na siamini kuwa utakuwa na wakati wa kufikiria juu ya nakala hii, na kwa njia yako, kwa kasi yako mwenyewe, kuwa sehemu ya harakati. Sitatoa wakati huu.

Natumai hutaharakisha kutuma nakala hii ikiwa ungependa kuishiriki lakini ujue jinsi ya kuishiriki kwa upole, polepole kuishiriki kupitia vidakuzi vilivyotengenezwa nyumbani na kuchuja kahawa.

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11 PAST RESPONSES

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Colin Jul 16, 2012

I read for the journey so taking me along as fast as possible rather defeats the object. I rather like the idea of someone extolling the virtues of countrylife and sustainable living by talking at breakneck speed though. I can write fast or slow, depending what the needs of the story are. Mostly I write slow.

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DenisKhan Jul 11, 2012

You will relive your childhood.Childhood is the time to enjoy stories.
“If stories come to you, care for them. And learn to give them away where they
are needed. Sometimes a person needs a story more than food to stay alive.”
–Barry Lopez

 

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carla a Jul 11, 2012

i was just reading the title but came to read on until i finished the whole thing, slowly of course! yes the fast pace in which we live our lives has definitely taken away the most important  aspect of what living is, the savoring  of new-found experiences in its minutest details! because of rush we lose the ability to feel.  what is there to tell then?  what makes one's experience  different from the other except the individually felt details that go with it. and telling experiences/stories in its "bullet-type" form makes one's story a ho-humm.  anyone listening there?

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Sundisilver Jul 10, 2012

Thank you, Ragunath, for this reminder to slow down, listen and share.
And thank you to Kristin (in the comments) for sharing her TED talk audition, which truly links slow stories and human love and compassion.  You truly illustrate in your life the art of listening, paying attention, loving and acknowledging the tellers;  you are growing the most incredible story collection ever.

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Susan C Hefte Jul 10, 2012

Thank you so much for the reminder to slow down, enjoy the coffee and cookies, look into the eyes of the listener, answer the questions that arise on both sides of the conversational story.  If we can only keep to the one story without diverting ourselves with tangents of other stories told too fleetingly to take hold and make a difference in the  weaving of our lives and stories as sentient beings on this planet.  It is so important at this time in our history of human development that we ground ourselves with each other and our slow, meaning filled stories so we can weather the challenging transformations that are taking place all over the world. A 'slow story movement' would allow us time to breathe.  NPR's "The Story" is one of the best examples of this: deep, appreciative listening and thoughtful questions to draw out more meaning. lovely.

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Tzirelsfm Jul 10, 2012

My nieces love hearing stories from the past from my parents.  This brings them closer together and my nieces learn about their ancestors and feel connected to a collective past.  Sometimes I participate in the telling of the stories because I can learn something new or I can add to the story.  This storytelling generates questions from my nieces and is a wonderful bedtime tradition.

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Sarah Jul 10, 2012

While telling a story properly, it is the rich descriptive language and then the pause that captivates the listener and hooks them for the next turn in  the story.  My kids prefer the telling of a bedtime tale over reading one and I love to watch their eyes grow wide while I pause and they squirm with anticipation!

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Heather Villa Jul 10, 2012

I found myself slowly reading your story. The title itself was an invitation to the readers to "slow down" and inhale the words, deeply. Sometimes I feel like everyone is talking, but no one is listening.  I will promote the "slow story" idea by not only sharing my own stories, but "really" listening to others.

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Burton Danet Jul 10, 2012
Slow Story.  Slow Music.Ben Mackenzie wrote an original song for ABC4All, "Lend a Heand"The composer of the music that goes with the lyrics deliberately put in as many "healing signals" for the brain as anyone listens to this song as possible.  Further, at the end, there are 20 seconds of silence during which it is possible to contemplate how you would like to lend a hand."Lend a Hand"  http://abc4all.net/lah.htmVideo:  http://www.youtube.com/watc...Is this not a great story?Cordially,BurtSAVING LIVES Burton Danet, Ph.D., Rejuvenated Facilitator, Clinical Psychologist (retired), Co-Founder, ABC4All Portal4Relief MANDATED ACTION for What The World Needs Now: The FOREVER Campaign for Global Humanitarian Relief (FCGHR) - Every day is GHRDTMP. O. Box 1624, Manhattan Beach, CA 90267-1624 USATel. 1-310-712-5477 * Skype abc4allteam * eMail abc4allteam @ abc4all (dot) net... [View Full Comment]
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Kristin Pedemonti Jul 10, 2012
As a Professional Storyteller who travels the world sharing Slow stories not sound bites, I see and feel the power of the "slow story" in villages, towns and cities. One of the stories I strive to share daily is connecting whether through my literacy volunteer project in Belize where I travel village to village collecting and sharing and teaching the teachers their own indigenous stories (many of which were banned from sharing in schools) or sharing Free Hugs with strangers.  We are desperate to connect. People tell me the most intimate details of their lives in the moment of a FREE HUG, it is truly heart expanding. I was fortunate to be chosen by TED Talks in their current Worldwide Talent Search to share about this; here is the short 5 minute story which will hopefully be chosen to be a 20 minute Story, a Slow Story. :) http://talentsearch.ted.com...... [View Full Comment]
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Jan Jul 10, 2012

Great observation!  Thanks for sharing your experience with us all.  And did you notice  I used all the letters to make complete words as I type this?  It takes longer, but you are worth the extra time. :-)