Marianna Shannon (1) - Myths and Stories: Their Impact on Who I’ve Become

  Myths and stories marked the beginning of this class. We asked what they were and how they have persisted throughout history. From my understanding myths and stories come from others’ experiences who came before us, most coming from their primordial perception. When I was younger, I was exposed to so many stories made by Disney, Dr. Seuss, and other children’s books/movies at the time. Most of them had the theme of being kind to others, not judging others, and always choosing peace over conflict. I believe that these stories made the biggest impact on me as a kid, especially since I was an only child in a neighborhood that didn’t really have people my age to hang out with. All I had to build some sort of experience were these myths, stories, and whatever happened at school. It created a very passive and kind kid, but one that was also sheltered from other experiences since I experienced life through others instead of my own. My mom described me as someone who never cried throughout childhood, would never put up a fuss. I wonder if I had been shown other myths/stories if I would have grown up with the same traits? If stories help those connect our experiences to someone else's, would different stories make me have a different perception of life?

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