Metabolizing Experiences into Stories

I am fascinated by the concept of metabolization, as are most middle-aged women. However, my interest is not in the typical connotation. The definition of metabolism usually refers to changing food into a form that can be used by one’s body and the rate at which that happens.

What if we put this concept into practice for experiences? How do our bodies “process” events, activities, interactions and the living of daily life? While I am clearly not a brain expert (but I am enjoying podcasts by several), I do have a theory. We metabolize experiences by turning them into stories. We capture the feelings, smells, and sounds of a moment in time and store them away in our minds.

Over the years, I’ve sat with CEOs who recalled a vivid memory that was perfectly suited as an example of a speech they were going to give. I’ve talked with industrial vegetation managers who have shared stories they metabolized along the way in their battle with weeds which provide lessons for today. Farmers have shared moments of their lives, metabolizing everyday life into thought-provoking stories.

I started February by attending the Purdue Ag Alumni Association Fish Fry. This annual event that has been going on for decades brings the Purdue Ag village together to both reminisce and look to the future of where agriculture is going. I volunteered at this event as a student in the late ‘80s, wearing my “I just work here” name tag as I carried fish to the tables. Now, three decades later, I was on the stage in my sparkling gold jacket I wear on “big Purdue days” sharing information about the Purdue Ag Alumni Trust Fund of which I am the chair. Many of my metabolized experiences bubbled up as I looked across the familiar faces in the audience and I thought of the associated stories.

It was a good reminder to think about ones stories and continue to learn from them.  Maybe I should start calling my storytelling sessions “metabolizing moments?” I stand ready to help you and your organization tap into your memorable moments and tell your story!