Occasionally, when people find out about my work as an Oral Historian, they tell me they could never record their life stories because they are not good at storytelling. So today, I’d like to focus on one simple but powerful truth: we are all natural storytellers.
Storytelling is Built Into our DNA
From the beginning of human history, stories have been the way we make sense of life. Before writing, before books, before recorded history, stories passed down knowledge, values, and culture. And that impulse hasn’t gone away. Psychologists including Jerome Bruner and anthropologists including Brian Boyd argue that storytelling is an evolved trait. It’s not a talent reserved for the gifted few, but a universal human ability.
That means you don’t need to be a novelist or a public speaker to be a good storyteller. The very act of remembering and sharing your own life naturally takes on a story form, which makes my job as an Oral Historian all that more interesting.
Everyday Conversation is Storytelling
Think about your last conversation with a friend or family member. Maybe you told them about something funny that happened on the way to the store. Without thinking, you probably gave your story a structure: how it began, what unexpected thing happened, and how it ended.
Linguists William Labov and Joshua Waletzky studied this pattern back in the 1960s and discovered that ordinary people shape their personal anecdotes with remarkable consistency. Even casual conversations contain an orientation (“Here’s where I was”), a complication (“Then this happened”), and a resolution (“And that’s how it ended”).
In other words, we don’t just tell facts, we turn them into stories.
Our Memory Prefers a Story
There’s also science behind why stories come so naturally. Cognitive researchers like Roger Schank and Robert Abelson have shown that our brains store experiences in the form of scripts and narratives. This means that when you recall a memory, you’re not retrieving a list of details, you’re replaying a story.
That’s why stories are easier to remember and easier to share than lists of facts. Memory itself prefers narrative form. And it explains why even everyday experiences, when retold, take on the shape of a story.
Ordinary Voices, Extraordinary Meaning
In the field of oral history, this truth is central. The voices of everyday people including teachers, nurses, farmers, business owners, parents, and neighbors all carry extraordinary meaning. Their stories reflect not only personal journeys but also the shared history of their communities.
Anthropologist Barbara Myerhoff has written about how seniors in her oral history work wove their lives into powerful, coherent stories without training or scripts. What she discovered is echoed by countless other oral historians, including myself: ordinary people are extraordinary storytellers.
Why This Matters for You
If you’ve ever thought, “I don’t have any stories worth telling,” the research suggests otherwise. You already tell stories every day to friends, to family, even to yourself. Those small stories are the building blocks of a larger narrative: your life story.
And when you share it in an oral history interview, you’re not just talking. You’re doing what humans are wired to do: telling a story that matters.
Your Legacy Matters
If this resonates with you, and you are interested in documenting your life story, I'd be happy to help. As an Oral Historian, my job is to guide you through the process. Asking thoughtful questions and helping you reflect on the experiences that have shaped your life. We'll talk about everything from your childhood memories, to family traditions, to the major events that influenced your life. The process is designed to help you reflect on what matters most while preserving your story for generations to come.
Why? Because your legacy matters. By documenting and preserving your life experiences, you're offering a gift to your loved ones that transcends time. You're creating a personal legacy that your family will cherish for generations.
If you’d like to learn more about me and the services I provide, please feel free to contact me.
~ Kenneth Greenberg :: Oral Historian