The  Dublin Writers Museum is an inspiring place, as long as you see past the ‘chip on the shoulder’ regarding the English: it also has a fantastic cafe!   A central theme is the crucial role played by the art of Celtic storytelling in Irish history: building communities, inspiring action, upholding values.   I was reminded of this recently when a friend commented that today’s media would rather cover their front pages with stories of fatuous celebrities, than real stories about the heroic lives of our servicepeople in foreign wars.

But ’twas ever thus, the national media have always been ringmasters of the circus,  whilst families and communities have been the real guardians of the flame - “Let us now praise famous men, AND our fathers that begat us”  chides Ecclesiasticus

A growing number of businesses are now rediscovering the art of  community storytelling, particularly in the small and medium size business sector (SMB),  to  align their organizations culturally with a set of values.    One telecoms company has what it calls ‘the legend approach’ - every month it records and lauds in a book  acts of extra special service to customers.  For example, a staff member who worked all night to get a customer’s network up and running for the next day.  Other staff are encouraged to applaud and celebrate such behaviour - and in so doing maybe be inspired themselves. 

In the end, great books, great deeds, give us a common currency,  but it is the ordinary people around us, with ordinary lives, doing both ordinary and extra-ordinary things who really inspire us - let’s sing their praises.