"讲故事者的任务是指出失去的东西"

The heart of this quote is about the unique role storytellers play in society. At its core, it's saying that storytellers help us understand and give names to our losses. By doing so, they allow us to confront and process them. Storytelling isn’t just about recounting events – it’s about making sense of changes, especially the ones that leave us feeling empty or confused.

Historically, storytelling has served as a crucial means for communities to come to terms with their experiences, especially traumatic ones. After wars, natural disasters, or personal tragedies, stories help people piece together their fragmented lives. Think about the ancient bards who sang of heroes lost in battle or the writers chronicling the lives disrupted by the Great Depression. They weren’t just entertaining; they were preserving memories and helping people mourn what was gone.

Take, for example, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The floodwaters not only destroyed homes but also submerged entire histories and disrupted countless lives. Storytellers, whether they were journalists, authors, or local residents, documented these losses. They wrote about the vibrant communities washed away, the family heirlooms lost to the waters, and the sense of security that vanished overnight. By naming what was lost, they helped survivors and the world understand the magnitude of the tragedy and begin the long process of healing.

So, how can we apply this wisdom in our daily lives? For one, when we face our own losses, we can try to articulate them. Instead of ignoring the void or masking the pain, we can write or talk about it. This might mean keeping a journal, sharing stories with friends, or even creating art. By naming our losses, we give ourselves the opportunity to acknowledge and work through them, rather than letting them fester in the dark.

Imagine you're going through a tough breakup. The loss feels overwhelming, and you might be tempted to bury those feelings under a pile of distractions. But what if, instead, you tried to name what you’ve lost? Maybe it's the loss of companionship, the future you envisioned together, or even the comfort of familiar routines. By identifying these pieces, you begin to understand the depth and specifics of your grief, making it a bit more manageable.

Consider the story of an old friend, Sarah. When her beloved grandmother passed away, Sarah was devastated. Instead of bottling up her sorrow, she decided to write a series of short stories about her grandmother’s life. She wrote about the Sunday dinners, the bedtime stories, and the way her grandmother's laughter filled a room. These stories didn’t bring her grandmother back, but they helped Sarah process her grief. By naming what she had lost, she honored her grandmother’s memory and found a way to keep her spirit alive.

In essence, the task of the storyteller – and all of us, in our ways – is to give voice to our losses. It’s about facing them head-on, naming them, and through that process, beginning to heal. So next time you're grappling with loss, big or small, try to find the words for it. Share your story. It might just be the first step toward piecing things back together.