Truth...Sort Of...

Never let the facts get in the way of a good story.

That's a bit of advice from my dad.

And since I write fiction I would say I've taken that to heart.

But how much truth do you need? Do you need to know right up front when someone is telling you a story that it's a story, not exactly word for word truth?

I don't.

Again, back to my dad.

One of his greatest story telling gifts was to suck you in to a joke. He would tell these long jokes that you would just think were a "hey, this happened to me today" story right up until he hit the punchline. And no matter how often he did it, you fell for it. Honestly, I was raised by the man and he'd still sucker me in. He was a really gifted storyteller. You just believed what he was saying. And the payoff, for me, was totally worth it.

Last night Brent and I saw Storm Large doing her Holiday Ordeal show. We've seen it live once before and on a recording once when the snow kept us from going. The show changes some each time, the music she performs, the guests she has sing with her, the stories she tells. But it's always really good. And it's always a message of hope and love and being the light in the darkness for people around you. I love it. I cry each time I see her perform anyway, and when she's telling great stories I get the big fat tears. Love. It.

But I don't think they are all true stories. Like verifiable facts. I think they are true stories like this message is truth and hold that in your heart. But the facts? Don't let those get in the way of a good story.

But I wondered last night how other people would feel if they thought one of the really heartwarming stories she told wasn't exactly true to life and more true to love. And even if there were people who thought it was a true story and never even questioned it. Which totally could be. I have a pretty highly tuned bullshit meter. Not for my dad, but for everyone else.

You see the debate this time of year now a lot. Should you tell your kids the Santa story or should you not? We were a Santa house. Hell we still are a Santa house. There is a part of me that REALLY wants to believe in that magic and so I do. Not the gift under the tree part, but the feel of it. The thought of it. The truth of the love if not the truth of the life. So we did the Santa thing. And probably were able to hold it for Christopher for longer than most. It helps if your mother believes as well. But we also taught him not to lie to us and that if he did he'd get in big trouble, mister.

Which is where a lot of people get tripped up. Aren't we lying to our kids? Teaching our kids that it's okay to lie by our example instead of that it's not? And are we breaking their trust in us for other things by doing this story?

Maybe.

I mean I hope not. I hope everyone handles it in just the right way where when their kids figure out their truth of it they can show how it weaves into the whole story of the season and makes it much more magical, like living in a book. But maybe it does. And maybe it depends on the kid and the family and how it's all done. And I don't really know.  I choose to believe that I didn't damage my kid by passing along the Santa tradition. And since he's still talking to me I'm going to go with that.

So anyway...thinking about truth and stories.

I am fine with not letting the facts get in the way of a good story. If you are telling me a story. A punchline or a feel good pay off included.

But I can't stand being lied to.

And there is a real difference there.

And I can't stand when people lie about bullshit things that are super easy to check.

And I can't stand when they repeat the lies enough that people think those lies are now the truth.

And I really don't understand people who know they are lies, know the truth is a foreign concept and will still vote for the jerk...

As an example...

But even not on that scale, there is a difference between a lie and story. I just wonder if it's the same line for for everyone else?