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Have you ever come away from hearing a truly great story wanting to tell that story
to all of your friends? Have you ever found that no matter how many times you tell
that story, you never quite seem to get the response out of it as when you first
heard it? I am here to tell you that every person who has ever stepped foot into
the woods or into a boat has a story like this. Everyone who has an appreciation
for the outdoors has a story to tell that is just his, and no one else's. When he
tells his story, everyone listens because they know when the story truly belongs to
the teller.
The story itself does not have to be one-hundred percent fact, and the story does
not have to be recounted exactly how it happened. The only criteria for telling a
really good story are that the storyteller has to believe that it happened just the
way he is telling it and there has to be some semblance to the actual event. A
story does not have to start out as being a top-notch event, and at first, there
can even be multiple skeptics who do not believe that your story happened just the
way you said it did. The classic story of "the big fish that got away" are merely building
blocks for good fishing stories. The beauty of the story comes when you have a newcomer drop in and
listen to the story. If the new guy or gal hangs on every word you say, then you
have just added one more person to the list of people who want to retell your
story.
The more people who try to retell your story, the more legendary your story
becomes. I have been in certain company before where I could not leave without
insisting on hearing one of the great stories from someone who could really tell
it. Some folks are naturals at telling a story, and by the second or third time
they tell the story, it has already been added to the gamut of great stories that
are out there. Then there are those who have a really hard time telling a story.
This kind of person can sit around a card table or a campfire for hours listening
to really solid outdoors stories and never be able to come up with a solid story
his own. However, the time will come for this type of outdoor trooper. It will come
when he least expects it. One day he will be out hunting or fishing and something
truly spectacular will happen to him. No matter how badly he retells his tale,
there will be a genuine solemnity to his tone that will make the others in his
company believe that they have been told a truly great story.
Some people, on the other hand, do not have to work hard to tell a story
that will go into lore as a classic. There are just some people
who have a certain knack for retelling a story. These are the people who
can recreate another guy's laugh, stare, or even demeanor. When these
people stop and tell you a story, you can imagine every single detail of
their story. You can imagine that every person in his story not only
exists, but you can imagine that the people in his story are sitting
there with you; he creates the story as plain as day in front of you, and
you leave amazed, wanting to hear more. With good storytellers, it is
hard to walk away from a conversation. It is difficult because you know
that whatever you do with the rest of your day, it probably will not be
as entertaining as listening to a truly good storyteller. I can't think
of one television show that can hold a flame to hearing a good outdoors
story.
The craft of telling a good story is truly unique to those who can do it. The
people who can really capture and recreate a good story are those who are keen
observers of human nature. When I hear a great story, I want to believe that the
other people in the story are actually there recreating it for me. I want to sit
uneasy in my seat because the teller of the story recreates a story so well that I
believe that the story happened word-for-word the way it is being recounted. The
guys who make the voices sound like the people you know and make the story fit the
personality of everyone involved make it a real joy to listen to. These people are
few and far between. I have had the privilege of knowing a handful of them in my
lifetime, and they are all amazing people. They all have a craft for making you
smile and remember people you haven't seen in a long time. Often times they make
you think about people who have passed away, and you could swear that they are
right there with you. The feeling you get after you leave these stories is what
separates them from others.
When you hear a story that you think about later that day, then you have heard a
good story. If you wake up the next day and are still thinking about it, then you
have been told a very good story. If you go through many years, however, and that
story keeps popping up in your mind, then you have been told a truly great story. A
great story is not great for the immediate effect that it has on you, but rather
for the lasting effect that is created as you recall it over time. If you are
sitting at a campfire and a story pops into your mind that you heard ten years
earlier and you just have to tell it, then you know it is a truly great story. This
makes a great story not something that just happens, but something has a lasting
effect on you. A great story will stay with you forever, and like a good wine, will
only get better as the dust collects on it.
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