The Stories We Share
When I visited Yarrabah, I had the chance to meet the local leader whose title was the King. Now King of a clan wasn’t a title I had heard before so I was keen to learn more about the man and the stories of Yarrabah’s people. We sat down and had a yarn and he shared the history of the land and the people who had come before us, explaining how he got his title, the shipwrecks that had happened along the Yarrabah shores and gave the uniqueness of the Yarrabah clan.
It reminded me how important it is to take the time to listen. Sometimes we’re so busy talking or thinking about what comes next that we forget how much we can learn from the people around us. Our Elders carry so much knowledge, and when we sit down and listen to their stories, we’re learning more than just what happened in the past. We’re learning about culture, identity and what makes a community who it is. That’s why it’s so important to me that I always take the time to meet with the Elders in any community I visit, so much of our histories aren’t written down but are shared by our story tellers, who entrust that legacy to us to do the same.
Of course, the trip wasn’t all deep conversations and important life lessons.
On the way back, someone on the team got a flat tyre. Suddenly, we had a new problem to deal with, and the clock was ticking because we had flights to catch. We were getting closer to missing our flights by the minute, and what should have been a straightforward job turned into chaos - that is until the King stepped in. He had the tyre sorted in record time and thanks to him we were on the road again and made our flights.
It was a good reminder that some of the best moments come from the unexpected things that happen along the way. We went there to spend time with the community, listen and learn, and we came away with stories of our own to tell.
Because that’s what we are: storytellers. We all have stories about where we come from, the people who’ve shaped us, the lessons we’ve learned and the moments that have stayed with us. Sharing those stories helps us understand each other, keeps our history and culture alive, and gives the next generation something to carry forward.
We need to keep making time for those yarns. Listen to our Elders, ask questions, share a laugh and pass our stories on. You never know what someone might learn from a story you’ve been carrying around for years.
And if you’re ever changing a tyre with Zack, maybe make sure someone else is there to help!
