One of my book clubs is reading Fried Green Tomatoes At The Whistle Stop Café. I have seen the movie, several times, but never read the book before now. Not only is the author, Fannie Flagg a great story teller, the tale she tells introduces us to characters so alive I wish they lived down my street.  At the same time, she addresses a number of timeless issues like equality, morality, kindness and forgiveness all wrapped around a story that feels hopeful and familiar to us all. Then this morning I listened to a podcast interview of a woman I consider to be one of the best story tellers alive—Rachel Naomi Remen.  Not only is Remen convinced that stories hold the power to heal our individual lives, she believes they are also the key to healing the entire world.  Could it be that authentic stories about love, loss, meaning, purpose and courage are what is missing in the world today? [Read more…]