T wo women, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One woman was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. Her bed was next to the room's only window. The other woman had to spend all her time flat on her back. The women talked for hours on end. They spoke of their husbands and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in voluntary services, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the woman in the bed by the window could sit up, she would pass the time by describing to her room-mate all the things she could see outside the window. The woman in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where her world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and colour of the world outside. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowe...
As a learning tool, storytelling can encourage us to explore their unique expressiveness and can heighten our ability to communicate thoughts and feelings in an articulate, lucid manner. These benefits transcend the art experience to support daily life skills. In our fast-paced, media-driven world, storytelling can be a nurturing way to remind us that spoken words are powerful, that listening is important, and that clear communication between people is an art.