1. At the Webstock launch, @polarbearfarm talked about his desire for different stories for New Zealanders. His classmates were all headed to jobs in companies and he wondered why they didn't consider working their own stuff. 

2. Kim Workman came and talked to my organisation about the work he does with criminals and the criminal justice system. His presentation was a series of stories. He said that many people end up in prison because that's the story of their family.

3. A similar thought occured to me while I was watching Awhi Tapu. The characters seemed to be following a path that had been set down by the mythologies and stories they had grown up with. 

4. However, a conversation with a couple of people on the weekend made me question whether it's the stories or the way they are told that makes a difference. Both men (and the mother of one of them) went into careers that didn't have much of a relationship with the careers of the rest of their families.

5. Therefore, my new question is - is it the facts in the story that matter, or the way it is told, or the themes that have the most impact on our lives?

6. What's your story, e hoa?