Our stories are how we connect with others. The Kalahari Bushmen believe a man's story is his most precious possession because it's the basis of culture and civilization. The same is true in modern society, but we're more likely to tell someone what we do for a living than what we care about, than who we are. When I thought about applying this to myself I was reminded of a piece I wrote a few years ago that I gave to some friends with driftwood I had collected at the confluence of the rivers near where I grew up. That is a place I return to repeatedly.

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