Blog 11

There is a direct connection between the events of the past, the stories of our lives, and the morals we hold close. In “Life’s Stories,” Beck discusses the significance of stories on our lives. She points out that stories aren’t just stories, they are part of life, and have an impact on the identify of an individual. According to her, “people take the stories that surround them… then identify with them and borrow from them while fashioning their own self-conceptions.” Stories are interpreted and then values, and opinions are crafted from them.  These values can become the foundation of how people act, and the morals they live by. This is the case for many individuals, including Narrative Project Interviewee, Ken MacArthur. When he was around 18, he was a U-Haul manager, and was responsible for taking care of the tenants of a storage facility. He had one tenant who was a “bum,” always paying late, and MacArthur was not the kindest too him. It turned out, this “bum” was a top lawyer in Boston, and just accidentally killed his wife, losing everything. This story still haunts MacArthur and is sure to “never judge anyone.” He said to “treat everyone the same, you don’t know their story.” This one event that occurred decades ago, forever changed how Ken MacArthur treated others, and interacted with anyone, despite physical appearances or actions. Every story and experience are interpreted differently based on the individual. Just as Beck stated, MacArthur took his experience, and extracted the most important lessons to him and applied them too his life. Fundamental morals for him, were a direct result from the stories in his life. They shaped who is today, and how is interacts with others.