慢故事运动

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.

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

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?

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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. :-)