Monday, November 19, 2012

Voices From A Storyteller

When I read stories to my kids I like to give the characters a vocal personality.  I'm not so good at it, but Josh or my mom?  They are truly gifted in that area.

I've caught myself using these same vocal inflations (in my head, of course) while reading books to myself.

And even while reading texts, emails or messages.  I'll give that annoying person on FB a sassy, know-it-all "voice", while giving another person a "voice" like Mary Poppins. I know, it's sad, but true.

The humbling thing is when I catch myself delegating personality traits through these "character voices" in my head to people I've never even met before.  And the "voices" I give them are preconceived ideas of what I THINK they are like.  It's NOT even factual.

It's always hard to communicate through words on paper (or computer screens) anyway, but we can help soften its blow if we read the content in a neutral tone, as if every word were written out of grace and love.

I know, this doesn't work ALL the time, but I promise that it will help with cynical and judgmental ideas of what a person is saying if we try to give them the benefit of the doubt, instead of the voice of the evil step-mother!

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