Chad_3_I

I figure the following is the beating heart of Chapter 3: "Facts are neutral until human beings add their own meaning to those facts. People make their decisions on what the facts mean to them, not on the facts themselves."

Yes, OK, in the context of business communication. I commented on Liz' post regarding this point if you want to read more.

Here I want to suggest the relation of fact to story in some Irish tales complements Simmons' model. Pictured above is Dublin storyteller Richard Marsh, the great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great- great-great-great-great-great-great grandnephew of St. Patrick. Old myths involve St. Patrick with Ossian, the last warrior of a band of royal guards that may or may not have existed. Now Ossian was a pagan, like all Irish before Patrick's time.

And if Ossian did exist, it would have been many hundreds of years before Patrick. Yet Irish story bends time to put both men in the same place. What's accomplished here is that modern Ireland has a way to reconcile its pagan past with its deeply Catholic present. To reiterate, the story of Patrick and Ossian explains the fact Ireland has pagan and Christian histories that are equally significant.

Of course I can't speak for all of Ireland, but this story resonates with me in a way a history book never could. A more analytical take on the situation might leave me frustrated with apparent contradictions in Irish history. But the story does a great job of situating the facts for me.