Well, this class and the readings have been really paradigm shifting. I am particularly enjoying the "Right to Speak" text. I am a slow reader but I've been slowly and surely making my way through the book. From reading it I have recognized the many ways that I have either taken away my own right to speak or have let others do the same. What a task it is to then jump in front of a room of people and say something! There has been no "a ha" moment yet where now all of a sudden I feel comfortable jumping in front of a room of people, but I think that realizing this is at least part of the battle won.
As a fun side note, I used to talk to the mirror in my youth to organize my thoughts and argue things out with people I might not have access to. As I grew older I dropped this habit because I considered I probably looked crazy. Or was crazy if I did something like that. But storytelling kind of forces us to go be that person that talks in the mirror sometimes to practice stories.
I'm not sure if it is an advantage or a disadvantage to be in a room with someone else here (Dwayne). Well, for my marriage and my friendship it is an advantage. But being nervous and working on a new story, I don't want to speak it out loud until I feel more confident. I am working on getting over that because I do need to practice. The things we do to silence ourselves, wow!
Reading the "Right to Speak" text reminds me of some statistics I read once that showed girls as being interrupted far more often than boys (perhaps it was the Tannen text? I can't find it off hand and I'm running late to class). If I find the statistic later I will write a comment on this post to reference it. But even culture teaches girls that they have less of a right to speak than boys. So I am always excited to see all of the bold and strong women in this class that seem unfazed by that.
I have found that the best way of learning a story is "talking it out in the car"---or someplace where I am quite alone (but not watching myself). I have found that the watching is distracting.
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Thanks for sharing, Joy! It's funny but after I wrote this all out I was reading in the Doug Lipman book NOT to tell stories in the mirror, haha. I think it helps me sometimes because it forces me to make eye contact instead of staring off into space as I tell a story. Thank you for sharing that you like to learn a story by talking it out in the car, or alone. That is a good idea. I have thought of that. I have wondered if the neighbors here on campus would think I am crazy but it might still be for the best to do that. :) I appreciated your comment!
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