Just recently I have come to the daunting realization the I am incapable at this point in time of following up these familiar words with anything even remotely worth while. As I imagined the situation mentioned in class of having a gun at my head and the potential to save my life only with a story, I must ashamedly admit I do not think I would survive. I am optimistic though, and convinced that this unfortunate inability of mine can be mended. If Shahrazad could do it, I want to be able to too. Granted, I am not the daughter of a vizier, or am I likely to be at the mercy of any psychotic king in the near future. Although I figure it's better safe than sorry. What I imagine will happen is that magically after having read the Arabian Nights I will find I have transformed into a certified storyteller who can amaze the world with her awing fictional creations. Then again, maybe not. But either way, I'm sure I'll get something out of it.
I suppose reading great stories can allow for one to reiterate the material they have been exposed to, but original creative expression is a rather more difficult task. This might have something to do with the power good fiction contains. Coming up with something extraordinary is not easy, but if successfully accomplished can have dramatic effects on people and even world situations. If you think about it, the simple telling of what happens while it simultaneously doesn't really happen is a fascinating concept. Literature comes from stories, stories that constantly surround us. Whether or not we read on a regular basis, this idea of fiction affects us through movies, radio, and even in day-to-day conversation. One of its most beneficial functions seems to be how through a narrative of what could be, we can reflect on an entire potentially complex situation without having experienced it first hand. In another sense, we learn from stories. Mistakes and triumphs of the characters we hear and read of give rise to contemplative thought, which opens our minds to previously unknown possibilities. And perhaps if it is not some great epiphany that results from a work of fiction, there is still the chance of being inspired, or merely distracting one's thoughts from the worries of life. I'm not really sure where I was planning on going with this, but I suppose the main point I've come up with is that fiction provides us with a lot more than we probably realize. I think I find this comforting in that it is highly accessible for people's own personal growth/enjoyment, and it is open for anyone to create.
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