This story began with an exercise to uncover a memory that would make a good story. As my attention narrowed to a particular moment, I had the feeling that there is a story in here somewhere that I want to tell. This moment with my dad held significance for me. I began to unpack the scenes and emotions of my eight-year-old self from the vaults of memory. Bringing this past moment into the present, I began to reflect on it and ask myself the question: “How did this moment change my life?” I began to unpack related memories, although not all of them made it into the story. Then, I asked myself, “What does this moment mean to my life today?”
Crafting personal stories requires these steps: (1) find a memorable moment, (2) unpack the moment from memory, (3) reflect on the impact that this moment had on your life which might require unpacking more moments, and (4) reflect on the significance it has in the context of your life today. After all this unpacking, the final step is to add creativity to the telling of the story.
If you had asked me why I wanted to become a doctor before I wrote this story, my answer would be very different.
Listen to the podcast, The First Doctor, by Dr. Joel Ying, MD
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