More than ever we need these brilliant people

Photograph of Tony, Bob and Martin at the Memorial in Vung Tau City, chosen by Ryan Schwarz as a special image from the trip to Vietnam.



Ryan writes:



Story time: That incredible ability to draw in an audience and leave them clinging onto every word

Stories, they have been around since the dawn of time, a way of passing information down through generations. But there have always been certain people that excel at sharing this knowledge, we call these special people storytellers. In a world filled with technology where we learn new things through dull fonts and sterile screens, it is now, more than ever, that we need these brilliant people. We need those people that have that incredible ability to draw in an audience and leave them clinging onto every word. In the image above we see three people that have this extraordinary knack, some may call them tour guides, chaperones or public speakers but to me they will always be known as story tellers. 

It was once I returned home that I realised just how important these three storytellers were. It is the simplicity of doing nothing but listening that resonated with me. It is the bus rides with Bob sitting at the back of the bus, talking about anything and everything from being a paratrooper, to a local Kingston farmer. It is the talks with Martin about communism and life in Vietnam, walking casually down the street as he puts his gentle arm around you as if to show that maybe we really are just like his family. And the looks of mutual respect and astonishment that Tony and Bob shared with each other as they revealed stories of their own as they admired each other’s gifts. These are the memories that I will hold onto. After every conversation with these three storytellers I would take away something new, learning more from them than any sign or page could ever offer. As the world becomes overrun by social media and online interaction, this image reminds me of the wonders that face to face communication brings. 

The knowledge these men shared has left me dumbfounded. It is one thing to flip through the pages of a book or scroll through a website, reading about incredible acts of Australian soldiers. It is another to sit next to one of these soldiers who fought through blood, sweat and tears, losing mates along the way, as they put their life on the line in the name of our country. If it was not for the reasoning voices of Tony and Martin, sharing stories of the Vietcong whom were just as noble, my naïve and stubborn self would never have recognised the war for what it truly was. These men have a gift, a gift to gain our attention and to hold it in the palm of their hands. This photo is a reminder of these incredible story tellers, the stories they have shared and the memories they have carved. 

We entered the competition trying to uncover stories of brave men and women that were never truly remembered. It seems fitting that I come home aware of just how important these stories are and just how vital the people are that share them. This photo is a reminder that when we die, our lives will not be defined by a trophy cabinet filled with our accolades but rather our stories and the precious people we choose to share them with. A man by the name of Robert McKee quotes, “Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world.”