Ah, tall tales! Storytelling has been a huge part of my childhood, and I’m still all about it. Growing up, my not-so-bookish cousins used to nickname me “History Book”—and honestly, I’m not even mad about it; at least I was the most entertaining thing on the shelf!
Why do I tell stories, you ask? Well, after deep contemplation (after a couple of snacks & a big mug of chai), I’ve unearthed my list of reasons!
Amma, my first storyteller!
No prizes for guessing this one.
Amma has always been an entertainer. She always has quirky poems to even quirkier stories.
As she had grown up in a multi generational household, so her stories were a good mix of fact & a healthy dose of fiction. She always had a story in every genre & for every occasion.
Life lessons were usually doled out generously over these stories.
Appa – my go-to bookworm and all-time fave fact collector!
While Amma was the entertainer, Appa was a fact file & a ultimate bookworm. He read books & collected books in all his free time. Plus, he fiercely guarded his beloved books!!
Appa’s stories were more like lessons . With his Master’s in Botany, he easily recited plant names and filled our chats into quick lab tips. Else, he’d treat us to a fun recital of Kannada poems and complicated Sanskrit proverbs, making it feel like a learning was fun!!
His one true area was great interest was astrology. Initially to my young mind, it felt ancient, more like an old wives tale. But, slowly I understood it involved a lot of math – geometry & astronomy. At this point, they felt less like stories but more like a math exam!!
Grandma Tales
I usually visited my grandmothers over summer.
They always had a meal time & nap time story.
Simple made up stories about monkeys or a story from Indian mythology, depending on whether they wanted you to eat up your meal or soothe you down into a nap!!
After I graduated from my family’s meal time stories, I discovered a new world of books and stories beyond the classroom. That’s the cool thing about stories—they’re always just around the corner. First on that list is,
Stranger Tales
In the good ol’ days when roads were smooth and traffic was rare, the limited bus network was like a gossip circle on wheels—passengers knew each other better than their own families, trading stories and a handful of peanuts.
The typical Indian road is packed with tons of little stories; you just gotta peek out that window to catch all the hidden gems!
Discovering my inner bookworm and diving into my love for history & poetry.
This apple definitely didn’t roll too far from the old man Apple!! Appa’s vibes really stuck with me, and I share his interests in history, mythology & poetry.
History Lessons & Architecture
One of my favorite subjects when I was studying Architecture was History. It felt like hopping on a time machine and cruising through the evolution of buildings as humans figured things out throughout civilization!
The best part? I have an awesome travel list now and a fun new hobby!
Over the year, my bookshelf looks like a wild party thrown by a history club, with a sprinkle of mythology—it’s so crammed with books on history that even the past seems to be side-eying me. But honestly, I wouldn’t want it any other way!
But, what exactly is the villain in my story?
Screen time is the ultimate villain in my epic saga of tall tales!!
An idle mind, completely free from boring adult responsibilities, is the finest hero of them all.
That’s when the most glorious ideas come tumbling out – equipped only with a trusty mug of hot chai, we swoop in to save the epic saga lurking in my brain.
Here are my go-to options to beat the villain and rescue my story!!
Road Trips
One of my favourite past times, especially on road trips, is to gaze at old buildings, villages, and dusty roads while imagining the wild tales they’d tell if they could talk—like gossip about the humans who passed by, tripping over their own feet!
Chai time is time to reflect
And on a chill evening, as I’m enjoying some hot chai and feeling a nice breeze wrap around me, I can’t help but be thankful to be breathing in the same air that’s connected so many people over the years, all with their own wild stories and experiences.
My latest solution : Digital library!!
I finally bit the dust & gave in to the convenience of the e-book.
The secret’s finally out about my inspiration for all those tall tales.
So, if you’re planning to hang out with me – bring some snacks and get ready for a good story!
