So here is the entire resolution of MY STORY:
My friend Kristen met me early last Monday at Mike the Mechanics garage and drove me to the home of another friend who lent me her car since the opposing insurance company was only going to pay $25 a day for a rental.
The repair took three days. It cost me $0.
Whew!
From a storytelling perspective the question is – does every story have a moral?
And the answer is yes and no.
Yes – because inevitably, the moral is whatever you take from ANY story.
No – because structurally, the moral depends on the hero’s journey and the genre in which she/he is journeying through.
Tragedy and drama tend to have a moral because the hero learns something from their journey.
Comedy often doesn’t have one – it is meant only to entertain and can have extraneous scenes for entertainment’s sake - and the hero doesn’t NECESSARILY learn much.
In Farce the hero’s journey is circular. He/she begins in a narrow-minded way and ends just as narrow in their view of the world.
In recontour/MOTH- style (NPR) storytelling, there is almost always a moral.
But in common conversation, which is the basis of my story about the car, there is often a moral. Remember, we tell stories in our daily life for connection and history within relationships. And for sharing our own life’s lessons.
And the moral(s) to my story?
Always call the BLEEPING police!
Don’t be so nice even when it is 17 degrees outside and it’s Christmas Eve.
And if you can’t get the person at fault to tell the truth, turn it into a lesson for your posting group for multiple LinkedIn posts. #bonus!
Thanks for hanging with me!
And oh yeah. I’m in the market for new car insurance. 😅