The Power of Story

I am a Twitter advocate, someone who loves the ability to converse, communicate, get information, links, jokes and, yes, snark. It’s my early warning radar for news and for pop culture. I understand its limitations and drawbacks. I don’t mind the fire hose, but I probably do spend too much time on it. (New Year’s resolution, anyone?)

The power of story can make those 140 characters into a poem and a hymn as Billy Baker did last week. I loved the story itself of a teenager, succeeding against incredible odds. But as a journalist, I also admire Baker’s sticking with the story of George even after it had been published. Journalists must be detached to do their jobs. I understand that. We have to ask tough questions, to see behind the curtain sometimes.  I strongly believe, however, that we are human beings first and, as Baker showed here, last.

This Storify of the @billy_baker’s tweets as he waited  to get the news about George’s college acceptance were as compelling as anything I’ve read in a long time. Go and read it now. It moved me to tears. And in the flood of information that is this digital age, isn’t that what we are seeking? I, blessed with more advantages that I could ever count, felt connected to Baker and to George and to the power of the human spirit. I was pulled in and drawn along to the final, smiling photo of young George at the celebration dinner.

It’s the power of story and people and not being afraid to be vulnerable and honest. That’s what we need more of in a digital age.

You can find Baker’s original story about George and his brother from the Boston Globe and the video produced to go with it.

There’s also a video about the story:

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