Category: 
January 11, 2009
I keep lots of memories from the days when I was a young parent. Not only those high points, but those exasperating moments as well. A good example is the memories I have of buying gifts for my children. Gifts for the holidays. Gifts for birthdays. Gifts rewarding good behavior. I spent some serious hours searching for something unique, something meaningful. It was tough going most of the time. It did not take very long to realize that a good gift is rare gift. A meaningful gift is even rarer. And when I did find a special gift, I regarded it as something of a treasure. And I anticipated that my children would do the same.
I am now a grandparent. And I am constantly seeking a unique gift children would treasure. Something that will last far beyond the moment of giving. One great gift I have found is a memorable story. And it is appropriate for all ages, children included. A CD full of stories will provide hours of pleasure. Imagine the trip around the world your progeny can take on the wings of a story!
You can find three CDs listed on the “Recordings” page of my website. Fables in Four Minutes is a collection of ten stories, each one representing a different storytelling genre. World Full of Stories has a dozen stories that will take the listeners on a trip around the world. Parking in Manhattan, my latest project, represents a compendium of hilarious urban folktales, all of them sounding as though they really happened! If you wish to make a purchase of one or more CDs, the directions on the “Recordings” page will assist you.
Hunting for a unique gift children will enjoy and appreciate? A unique gift children will never get tired of? A unique gift children can enjoy sharing with their friends and family? A memorable gift is the gift of story. It is a unique gift children will cherish for the rest of their lives!
Horaayy..there are 53 comment(s) for me so far ;)
Love this blog.
I was surprised to find how memorable those stories were. The messages stuck in the memory, too. The Golden Rule. Honesty is the best policy. Slow down and notice the things around you.
The world of folktales is also inhabited by fairy tales. The questioning minds of preliterate villagers found apt expression through stories of magic and mystery. Many folktales were cautionary tales with lessons for avoiding catastrophe. Do not go into the deep, dark woods! Keep away from wild animals! Do not talk to strangers! Then again, many folktales tell of reward and happy endings. Good is eternally pitted against evil.
Keep the good posts coming. Great information.
Love this blog. This is a great blog.
This was a great site.
Keep on the blogging. I needed this site last month.
And without time to reflect, how can we develop insight into the affairs of the day? Here is the place for inspirational stories. Inspirational stories give listeners something to chew on. They give us something to consider. Something that points us a bit closer to our “true north. ” Something that offers a little perspective to life.
Wonderful stuff here.
com you will find a rich source of priceless humor!
I listen to lots of conversations. They are filled with catastrophes and disasters. And the life lessons are generally hidden from view. As a storyteller, my job is to sift through the data and sort out the meaning. Also, I need to inject a bit of humor to make the tale palatable.
This is a place I will bookmark.
Give back to your community. Messages that made me who I am today.
Today I tell many of the stories I heard as a child. The stories are ageless. The messages of long ago still have merit in the world today.
However, the lessons in many other stories may not be as obvious. The characters may act out the meaning of the story. Listeners are left to figure out the message for themselves. And there may be a different message for each listener. Stories such as these are inclined to be more widely popular.
I needed this site last month.
I will certainly come back here.
Keep posting.
Very cool.
Perhaps it gives a hint of direction. There could even be an outright moral. The name one might give to this ephemeral quality is not as important as the fact that the stories I tell actually possess it.
Even when I was growing up, I found myself deeply touched by inspirational stories. Both my mother and my grandfather told similar stories.
Gifts rewarding good behavior. I would search high and low for something meaningful, something unique. Most of the time it was rough going. It did not take very long to realize that a good gift is rare gift. A meaningful gift is even harder to find.
Garrison Kiellor. Check out the humorists of history. Moliere. Henry Fielding Storytellers all. Priceless humor their brush.
You should write more. Very cool.
jaystetzer. com. Go to the “Listen” page on the site and you will surely discover a number of stories with relevant messages. Two good examples of inspirational stories are “The Egg Seller” and “Herschel and the Wedding” from my CD World Full of Stories. From the CD Parking in Manhattan, “Service with a Smile” brings a great message to the listener.
It doesn’t really matter what name you give to this elusive quality; it is more important that the stories I tell possess it.
Even when I was growing up, I found myself deeply touched by inspirational stories. I heard similar stories from my mother and my grandfather. Occasionally a teacher would tell a story that meant a great deal to me. I noticed that stories with a message stuck in my memory.
” The standard reference Compact Oxford Dictionary states: “particularly good, effective, or stylish. ”
What makes nifty stories nifty? The stories I choose to tell are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making a point, a lesson, a message, a bit of perspective. To me, nifty stories are a blend of entertainment and education, or what some call “edutainment. ” I look for stories with certain underlying values that help the listener to set their internal compass when sailing through life.
For example, a story with a moral is one that provides a clear message.
Even when I was growing up, I found myself deeply touched by inspirational stories. Both my mother and my grandfather told similar stories. Occasionally a teacher would tell a story that meant a great deal to me. I was surprised to find how memorable those stories were. The messages stuck in the memory, too.
The name one might give to this ephemeral quality is not as important as the fact that the stories I tell actually possess it.
As a child I found deep meaning in inspirational stories. Both my mother and my grandfather told similar stories. Once in a while, a teacher would tell a story that held profound meaning to me. I noticed that stories with a message stuck in my memory.
Many world stories derive from mythology. They include creation stories along with other stories that explain the world.
Folktales, on the other hand, are generated from daily village life. These stories rise out of a rural setting for obvious reasons. Fairy tales also live in the world of folktales.
Awesome. This blog is rockin.
Often world stories are enigmatic. Generally world stories contain lessons. All world stories keep us amused.
No matter what, all world stories maintain a deep bond with the fabric of their culture. People tell of their experiences through world stories.
More helpful information.
Awesome.
Helpful information.
I look for stories with certain underlying values that help the listener to set their internal compass when sailing through life.
For example, a story with a moral is one that provides a clear message. It teaches using a concrete example. However, the lessons in many other stories may not be as obvious. The characters may act out the meaning of the story.
This was helpful stuff.
The missed appointment. The misunderstood comment. The consequences that follow are generally laughable.
You will find lots of priceless humor in urban folktales. My CD Parking in Manhattan illustrates many humorous circumstances.
Many Thanks.
Keep the good blogging coming.
They have an ageless quality. The messages of long ago still have merit in the world today.
Why seek out inspirational stories? For one thing, we experience a deluge of information and news on a daily basis. Second, the lives we live give us no breathing space to reflect. And without time to reflect, how can we develop insight into the affairs of the day? This is where inspirational stories serve us well.
Don’t stop writing.
I will bookmark this page.
Good blog. Thanks for sharing.
Keep on blogging. Love the blog.
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What’s so nifty about nifty stories? The stories I tell always have a message, a lesson, a bit of perspective, and they are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making their point. To me, nifty stories are a blend of entertainment and education, or what some call “edutainment. ” I look for stories with certain underlying values that help the listener to set their internal compass when sailing through life.
Any story with a moral at the end sends the listener a clear message. It teaches by example.
However, it was only when I found myself using the word in my description of my own stories that I needed to define it. Actually, it was a listener who called my material “nifty stories,” and that comment sent me to the books. The current Wiktionary defines the word as “good; a general term for anything that is good, useful or beneficial. ” A thesaurus gives synonyms such as “peachy, smashing, dandy, great, keen, and groovy,” all of which strike me as exchanging one jargon term for another!”
What makes nifty stories nifty? The stories I tell always have a message, a lesson, a bit of perspective, and they are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making their point. You could say that my idea of nifty stories is stories that enlighten as well as entertain.
Helpful info.
Bring more posts.
As a kid, I overheard my older brothers using the word “nifty” when referring to a cool car or a great suit of clothes. It alluded to the uniqueness and stylishness of the subject being described. As time passed, I heard the word used in a wider range of conversations, including nifty evenings out, nifty concerts, and nifty songs. Even later, the word took on a more cultured definition in reference to poems, books, and, of course, nifty stories.
The word seemed allusively defined, yet attractively so.
Thanks.
The characters may act out the meaning of the story. It is up to the listener to decipher the message. And different listeners will carry away different messages. This kind of story is generally attractive to a wider audience. The subtler lessons tend to come from longer tales.
Better research than most blogs. Where was this site when I needed it?
Call it priceless humor.
Look around you at the great humorists. Dave Barry. George Carlin. Garrison Kiellor.
Your blog is awesome.
Groovy blog. Really great.