Story

I recently finished reading the nonfiction book "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life" by Donald Miller. He's the guy who wrote "Blue Like Jazz" one of the best books on spirituality and Christianity I've ever read. It's a book I've bought several copies of because I just have to share it with everyone. I love books like that.

So back to A Million Miles. This book was about Miller making his book Blue Like Jazz into a screenplay. I had no idea this is what it was about when I bought it for Angela for Christmas (she had it on her wish list). But it kinda fits perfectly with my life right now. And Miller talks a lot about story. Writing story, living story, creating a better story, those who teach about story (particularly Robert McKee, the screenwriting guru on the subject), etc.

But what's stayed with me most is not any of the writing tidbits sprinkled throughout the book but the idea that because of all this talk of story, Miller made the decision to create a better story of his own. And he encourages all of us to do the same. We have the ability to create an awesome life story. No matter what. All we have to do is get off the couch. (Well, that's what he had to do at least).

That thoughts stayed with me over the last week or so since I've put the book back in it's dust jacket and slid it onto the shelf. Am I creating a better story every day? How can I write my the best story possible with my life? I thought about it today when I got up from my computer an hour before I should have and went out to the living room and asked my mom to show me how to knit, again (yes, she's shown me, several times, and no, I never remember but I really really want to learn from her).

I thought about it when I invited my two elderly neighbors over for coffee tomorrow morning. I want to hear about their stories, more than I hear in passing when we wave from the driveway or walk to the Neighborhood Watch meetings.

And I've been thinking about it as I make decisions and contemplate making decisions that affect my life in a much bigger, overall way. How can I write a really interesting story? What should I do right now? Tomorrow? Next year?

I want to write a good story. I want to live a good story. I want to create better stories. The question now is how?