Storied past

“What about a story?” said Christopher Robin.

“What about a story?” I said.

“Could you very sweetly tell Winnie-the-Pooh one?”

“I suppose I could.” I said. “ What sort of stories does he like?”

“About himself. Because he’s that sort of bear.”

—A.A. Milne. Winnie-the-Pooh. Toronto, Ont: McClelland & Stewart Ltd; 1926.

As I write this editorial, I am sitting in a cottage in the near north of Ontario. As I look out of the window, I am surrounded by stories. Some very old. Some new.

Many years ago, the Iroquois and Algonquin tribes fought on the beach here—legend tells us that the water was stained red with blood. We still find an occasional flint arrowhead buried in the sand. The voyageurs came by later with their canoes full of beaver pelts destined for the heads of Europe. Their feet gradually wore down the rocks of the nearby portage to make footholds that are in use today.

The lumber barons were next. This cottage was once a hunting lodge for their wealthy and influential friends. Large rafts of logs were floated down the lake to the lumber mill, a picturesque ruin when I was a child, but now long gone. Even later, there were families who brought their luxuries to the wild—a goldfish pond, tennis courts, a music pavilion. The couples who danced under the light of Japanese lanterns are long dead. The pond is filled with weeds and the pavilion was torn down years ago.

As I walk along the path by the beach, I see more recent stories. Each cottage is filled with a mixture of happiness, sadness, disappointment, and expectation. The happiness of a pair of newlyweds. An elderly couple adjusting to loss of functionality. A grandchild graduating from university. Wealth dissipated by drink. The excitement of a new baby. The loss of a wife.

We all have stories. The stories of our lives. A remembrance of our past, a picture of our present, and a vision of our future. Our stories intertwine with those of others; we change and affect each other’s stories. As physicians, we are invited to participate in our patients’ stories. Our patients equally influence our own narratives. Indeed, how we react to their stories tells us a great deal about ourselves.

In this special summer story issue, you’ll find commentaries about stories, research about stories—and of course, stories. Read. Think. Enjoy.

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