Humor stories

I am always on the lookout for stories that bring something more to listeners than a clever twist of plot. Something that listeners can take away from the story. Call it a message. It might give the listener a suggestion of a new direction. There could even be an outright moral. It doesn’t really matter what name you give to this elusive quality; it is more important that the stories I tell possess it.

Even when I was growing up, I found myself deeply touched by inspirational stories. Both my mother and my grandfather told similar stories. Occasionally a teacher would tell a story that meant a great deal to me. I was surprised to find how memorable those stories were. The messages stuck in the memory, too. The Golden Rule. Honesty is the best policy. Slow down and notice the things around you. Give back to your community. Messages that made me who I am today.

I find myself using stories I heard long ago when I perform today. They have an ageless quality. The messages are as relevant now as they were long ago.

What’s so important about inspirational stories? For one thing, we experience a deluge of information and news on a daily basis. Second, the lives we live give us no breathing space to reflect. In the absence of time and reflection, we have precious little available insight to bring to current affairs. This is where inspirational stories serve us well. Inspirational stories give listeners something to chew on. They offer something to think about. Something that helps us to find our personal “true north. Something that offers a little perspective to life.

Looking for inspiration? You can find inspirational stories and more at www.jaystetzer.com. Go to the “Listen” page on the site and you will surely discover a number of stories with relevant messages. Two good examples of inspirational stories are “The Egg Seller” and “Herschel and the Wedding” from my CD World Full of Stories. From the CD Parking in Manhattan, “Service with a Smile” brings a great message to the listener. I find that inspirational stories stick in the memory long after they are told. In fact, the inspirational stories I tell even inspire me!

The world of today is a fast moving, complex world. As we head on down the highway of life, we can all use a little direction to guide us. Inspirational stories can help us in our travels. Think of them as your own personal GPS! There’s a wealth of inspirational stories available on all of my recordings. Listen for yourself!

Stories have been told and retold for centuries throughout the world. Why? Because they are entertaining, for one thing. For another, they deal with the human condition. Even animal characters in stories act out the situations of our own humanity.

The struggles of life have been with us for centuries as well. Wars. Famine. Relationship scuffles. Struggles that implore some understanding, some support. A resolution of some sort.

Needless to say, no one cares to listen to preaching. We desire to sweeten our bitter medicines. Enter laughter. It is the honey in the brew. Priceless humor is filled with wit and wisdom. A unique combination.

As you know, everyone loves to laugh. Laughter enlivens the spirit. And everyone loves to laugh at the foibles of our own species (as long as it happens at the expense of another). This is priceless humor.

Look at the great humorists around us. Art Buchwald. George Carlin. Garrison Kiellor. Check out the humorists of history. Mark Twain Henry Fielding Storytellers all. Priceless humor their brush.

Priceless humor… what makes it priceless? There is a simple answer to this question. Priceless humor involves situations which most of us have experienced. The lost keys. The misunderstood comment. The laughable consequences generally follow in quick succession.

The world of urban folktales is a rich source of priceless humor. My CD Parking in Manhattan illustrates many humorous circumstances. These hilarious comedies involve characters everybody can relate to and empathasize with. Priceless situations create priceless humor.

World stories also capitalize on priceless humor. These stories always bring gales of laughter when they are told. Two good examples from my CD Fables in Four Minutes are “Rock Soup” and “Herschel in the Woods” My CD World Full of Stories has many examples a listener can enjoy. These are just a few examples of priceless humor. These stories will stick with you long after you heard them. You can find priceless humor and more at www.jaystetzer.com.

When I am out and about, I tune into conversations around me. They are filled with catastrophes and disasters. And the life lessons are generally hidden from view. It is my job as a storyteller to sort out the meaning from all the information I hear. To make the tale palatable, I inject a bit of humor. Making the story priceless with priceless humor!

Virtually every storytelling genre contains examples of priceless humor. What is the reason for it? Simple answer number two. Laughter makes learning easier. A story with priceless humor often comes with a lesson attached. Priceless humor is… priceless!

As a kid, I overheard my older brothers using the word “nifty” when referring to a cool car or a great suit. It was a word that meant a variety of things, all of them good and attractive. As time passed, I heard the word used in a wider range of conversations, including nifty evenings out, nifty concerts, and nifty songs. Even later, the word took on a more cultured definition in reference to poems, books, and, of course, nifty stories. Stories

The word seemed allusively defined, yet attractively so. However, it was only when I found myself using the word in my own description of my stories that I needed to define it. Actually, it was a listener who called my material “nifty stories,” and that comment sent me to the books. The current Wiktionary defines the word as “good; a general term for anything that is good, useful or beneficial.” A thesaurus gives synonyms such as “peachy, smashing, dandy, great, keen, and groovy,” all of which strike me as exchanging one jargon term for another!” Research here.

What’s so nifty about my stories? The stories I tell always have a message, a lesson, a bit of perspective, and they are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making their point. You could say that my idea of stories that are nifty are ones that entertain as well as enlighten. I look for stories with certain underlying values that help the listener to set their internal compass when sailing through life. Storyteller

Nifty stories are stories that teach. Nifty stories are memorable. Nifty stories carry a message that applies to all people. Nifty stories are always “stylish,” regardless of the era that spawned them. These stories are naturally very attractive. Any stories of worth are nifty stories. You can find great nifty stories on www.Jaystetzer.com Stories

Everyone loves to laugh. Laughter takes the sting out of life. And everyone loves to laugh at the foibles of our own species (as long as it happens at the expense of another). Call it priceless humor.

Priceless humor… what makes it priceless? The answer is simple. Priceless humor revolves about common everyday experiences. The missed appointment. The comic situation. The consequences that follow are generally laughable. Priceless humor

You will find lots of priceless humor in urban folktales. Listeners can readily find many humorous circumstances in my CD Parking in Manhattan. Folks can relate to and empathize with the characters involved in these hilarious comedies. Priceless situations create priceless humor. See.

World stories also capitalize on priceless humor. The retelling of such stories never ceases to bring gales of laughter to listeners. Check out “Rock Soup” or “Herschel in the Woods” from my CD Fables in Four Minutes. Listen to “The Egg Seller” or “Hickory Dock” from World Full of Stories. These are just a few examples of priceless humor. You will find yourself remembering these stories for a long time. jaystetzer.com/pricelesshumor/pricelesshumor.shtml

There is priceless humor in virtually every genre. Why? Another simple answer. We learn best when we are laughing. A story with priceless humor often comes with a lesson attached. It just goes to show that priceless humor is a treasure.

Over the years, I have spent a good amount of my time researching stories that offer listeners something more than simply a clever plot. They hint at a direction, or perhaps a meaningful message. They could even suggest a moral. The name of this elusive quality is not all that important. It is more important that the stories I tell possess it. I call them inspirational stories.

Inspirational stories give listeners something to chew on. It gives them something to mull over. As a result, their internal compass points a bit closer to “true north.” Check this out..

Check out my website and the page entitled, “Listen.” Click any one of the story samples and you are likely to find a message worth your time. And you are likely to find the inspirational stories sticking in your mind. The fact is, inspirational stories actually inspire everybody, even the storyteller! more..

In this fast moving, complex world, we all need a bit of “inner” direction to guide us as we move down the highway of life. The twists and turns can be dizzying and confounding. To help us stay on the road, inspirational stories can guide us. Think of them as a personal GPS. There is a wealth of inspirational stories available on all of my recordings. Listen for yourself! Go here.

I am a parent and a grandparent. And I am constantly seeking a unique gift children would treasure. Something that will last far beyond the moment of giving. One great gift I have found is a memorable story. And it is appropriate for all ages, children included. A CD full of stories will provide hours of pleasure. Think of the glimpse it can give into cultures and customs from countries around the world.

My “Recordings” page on this website lists three story CDs. Fables in Four Minutes is a collection of ten stories, each one representing a different storytelling genre. For listeners who want to take a virtual trip around the world, World Full of Stories makes a unique present. Parking in Manhattan, my latest project, represents a compendium of hilarious urban folktales, all of them sounding as though they really happened! If you wish to make a purchase of one or more CDs, the directions on the “Recordings” page will assist you. Free mother son stories.

Hunting for a unique gift children will enjoy and appreciate? A unique gift children can grow with? A unique gift children can share with their parents and friends? Give them the gift of story. The kind of unique gift children will treasure for a long time to come.

I keep lots of memories from the days when I was a young parent. Not only those high points, but those exasperating moments as well. One of them involves purchasing gifts for my children. Gifts for the holidays. Birthday gifts. Gifts rewarding good behavior. I would search high and low for something meaningful, something unique. Most of the time it was rough going. I quickly realized that a good gift is hard to find. A meaningful gift is even rarer. And whenever I succeeded in finding a gift that I regarded as special, I treasured it. And I anticipated that my children would do the same.

I am now a grandparent. And I am constantly seeking a unique gift children would treasure. Something that will last far beyond the moment of giving. A memorable story is that kind of gift. And it is appropriate for all ages, children included. Think of all the pleasurable hours an entire CD of stories can provide. Think of the glimpse it can give into cultures and customs from countries around the world.

You can find three CDs listed on the “Recordings” page of my website. Fables in Four Minutes is a collection of ten stories, each one representing a different storytelling genre. World Full of Stories has a dozen stories that will take the listeners on a trip around the world. Parking in Manhattan, my latest project, represents a compendium of hilarious urban folktales, all of them sounding as though they really happened! If you wish to make a purchase of one or more CDs, the directions on the “Recordings” page will assist you.

Hunting for a unique gift children will enjoy and appreciate? A unique gift children will never get tired of? A unique gift children can share with their parents and friends? A memorable gift is the gift of story. It is a unique gift children will cherish for the rest of their lives!

I grew up with the word “nifty” as a standard descriptor in my vocabulary. It alluded to the uniqueness and stylishness of the subject being described. As I grew older I heard the word being used in a wider range of topics: a nifty song, a nifty concert, a nifty evening out. Even later, the word took on a more cultured definition in reference to poems, books, and, of course, nifty stories.

Whenever I heard the word I assumed it meant something good, something attractive. Still, I did not really define the word until I found myself using it to refer to the stories I tell to audiences and on recordings. Actually, I hit the books when a listener said my stories were nifty. The Merriam/Webster Dictionary definition states: “very good, very attractive,” etymology unknown, originally used in 1865. The standard reference Compact Oxford Dictionary states: “particularly good, effective, or stylish.”

What was my listener describing when he called my stories “nifty?” The stories I tell always have a message, a lesson, a bit of perspective, and they are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making their point. To me, nifty stories are a blend of entertainment and education, or what some call “edutainment.” There needs to be a message beyond a witty punch line.

Any story with a moral at the end sends the listener a clear message. It teaches by example. On the other hand, many stories are not so obvious in the lessons they offer. The meaning is hidden in the actions of the characters. Listeners are left to figure out the message for themselves. And there may be a different message for each listener. Stories such as these are inclined to be more widely popular. The subtler lessons tend to come from longer tales. Epic stories have many layered lessons Just compare a tale from the Arabian Nights to a fable by Aesop to see the difference. Which one appeals to you? My personal penchant is for finding my own lessons when I listen to a story. Check out my World Full of Stories and Fables in Four Minutes CDs for some examples of nifty stories with more subtle lessons.

Nifty stories are stories that teach. Nifty stories appeal to a broad audience. Nifty stories travel beyond the culture from which they originate. Nifty stories are always stylish, regardless of the era that spawned them. Stories such as these hold the listener’s attention long enough to send their message effectively. Nifty stories are worth their weight in gold!

Throughout the world stories have been told and retold for millennia. In the fabric of a culture, they act as vital threads in the weave. They lend definition, roots, and significance to society. World stories spread as the culture grows.

One of the great benefits of my travels around the world is the wellspring of world stories I have found in each country I have visited. I have also had the opportunity to learn a bit about each country. Rituals and customs. Daily habits and geography. So the world stories I hear have substantial meaning to me. In the process, I have discovered how world stories arise out of the cultures from which they are born. My firsthand experience of a given culture heightens my appreciation of their stories. My travels have taken me to Southeast Asia, Central and South America, around the United States, Canada, and Europe. I find myself amazed at both the differences and similarities of the various countries.

All cultures regard certain notions as sacred. The demonic can also be found. These notions appear regularly in their stories. Their stories grow out of this mythical soil. Many world stories derive from mythology. Creation stories form the majority of this category, along with other stories help explain the world.

By contrast, folk tales spawn from daily village life. Naturally, stories of the folk world are couched in rural settings. The world of folktales is also inhabited by fairy tales. The questioning minds of preliterate villagers found apt expression through stories of magic and mystery. Many folktales were cautionary tales with lessons for avoiding catastrophe. Do not go into the deep, dark woods! Keep away from wild animals! Do not talk to strangers! Then again, many folktales tell of reward and happy endings. Good is eternally pitted against evil. The Golden Rule reigns supreme. No matter what the genre, a good world story brings meaning to the contemporary world as well. And that brings us to storytelling today. Modern society is a far cry from rural villages, yet the stories ring true regardless.

Some world stories are humorous. Other world stories are mysterious. Many world stories are full of insight. Often world stories are inscrutable. Generally world stories teach. All world stories keep us amused.

No matter what, all world stories maintain a deep bond with the fabric of their culture. People tell of their experiences through world stories. And they have merit in worlds far removed from their origin.

Listen to my CD entitled “World Full of Stories” to enjoy the variety found in world stories. It is an award winning journey that will take you around the globe!