A Storyteller on The Storyteller

The universe…just when I think it can’t amaze me any more than it has, it puts itself to shame and blows my socks off. One of the many recent cases-in-point: it led me to Dave Grohl’s recently published memoir, The Storyteller. 

Time is surely a trickster, and part of my brain thinks it’s perpetually 1998. Wasn’t it just a few months ago when I heard “Everlong” for the first time, then bought the CD so I could endlessly listen to it? 

I’ve always thought Dave was a cool cat and have had songs by both Nirvana and Foo Fighters on my playlist over the years, but I wasn’t what you would consider a super fan.

Until today. 

Well, superfan isn’t exactly the right word.

Fierce admirer is a much better way to sum it up.

My God, The Storyteller is honest, authentic, and I couldn’t put it down. My copy has over 100 sticky flags fanning off its pages.

The depths of both Dave’s incredible musical talent and his impressive energy are just two of the many factors that contribute to his overall awesomeness. Here’s someone who has lived his entire life by his terms, full of passion for music and for life, and when life threw him wrenches, he took them and created something even more beautiful from the debris that remained. 

Dave’s written voice is mesmerizing and his stories raw and honest. He speaks often about the universe and how it guided him along his journey, something I can wholeheartedly relate to. There are many references he makes in the book that I swear he wrote specifically for me, ones that mirror my own journey from my past to my present. We share a connection to The Beatles’ song Blackbird, we’ve both found solace (and ourselves) in Ireland, we’ve both Googled heart attack symptoms, and we are both survivors of life.

And most of all, we are both storytellers.

Dave is a laid-back and humble everyman, a devoted family man, the son of a teacher who finds inspiration from the people he meets along the way. Just as he is thankful and grateful for those who have inspired him, I am thankful and grateful that the universe led me to his book because he is now one of my inspirations, and maybe someday, the universe will conspire to allow me to tell him that in person.

I’ve selected a few quotes from the book that really spoke to me:

“To really see America, you need to drive it mile by mile, because you not only begin to grasp the immensity of this beautiful country, you see the climate and geography change with every state line. These are indeed things that cannot be learned from an old schoolbook under the cold classroom lights; they must be seen, heart, and felt in person to be truly appreciated. The education I was getting out here on the road proved to be far more valuable to me than any algebra or biology test I had ever failed, because I was discovering life firsthand, learning social and survival skills I still rely on to this day (e.g., knowing when to speak and when to shut the fuck up.)”

“The Storyteller” by Dave Grohl, Page 93

When Dave decided to follow his passion of music with the support of his mother, his experiences with touring and traveling taught him more than he ever could have learned from a book or in a classroom. I’m a tad bit envious he had the balls to follow his passion while young and discover life firsthand. I can’t change the fact that I was dissuaded from following my passion when I was young, but you know what? It’s not too late for me to change. I woke up this morning with a newfound zest for life and aspire to let my inner light shine as brightly as possible as a result of reading The Storyteller, and I want to get out there and see as many new places as possible. And off the record, learning when to speak and when to keep quiet is a lesson I actively promote and think every person who rants on social media for no read other than to complain needs to adopt. “I, I’m a street light shining, I’m a wild light blinding bright, Burning off and on,… It’s times like these you learn to live again… It’s times like these you give and give again… It’s times like these you learn to love again… It’s times like these time and time again…” (“Times Like These,” written by Taylor Hawkins / Nate Mendel / David Grohl / Chris Shiflett, Performed by Foo Fighters)

“Courage is a defining factor in the life of any artist. The courage to bare your innermost feelings, to reveal your true voice, or to stand in front of an audience and lay it out there for the world to see. … It is the courage to be yourself that bridges those opposing emotions, and when it does, magic can happen.” 

“The Storyteller” by Dave Grohl, Page 355

I finally found the courage to be honest with myself about my writing, and I will be revealing my true voice in everything I write moving forward. I believe wholeheartedly that the magic WILL happen. “This is a call to all my past resignations…it’s been too long…” (“This Is A Call,” written by David Grohl, Performed by Foo Fighters)

“… I greet the world every day through the idealistic, mischievous eyes of a rebellious child who constantly seeks adventure and magic. I still find happiness and appreciation in the most basic, simple things. And as I collect more little lines and scars, I will wear them with a certain pride, as they almost serve as a trail of bread crumbs, strewn across a path that someday I will rely upon to find my way back to where I started.”

“The Storyteller” by Dave Grohl, Page 371

I have never felt as home in my own body as I do now despite collecting more lines and scars every day. They are my badges of honor, and I plan to follow the trail of bread crumbs spread along my journey until the day I die. Like Dave, I find happiness in the simple things, such as in the laughter of my nieces and nephews, finding a blue jay feather, or through playing with a cute, little toy. I might be 50 years old, but I’ll never lose my childlike wonder and appreciation for life’s little joys. “Blackbird singing in the dead of night, Take these broken wings and learn to fly, All your life, You were only waiting for this moment to arise…” (“Blackbird,” Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Performed by The Beatles, Dave Grohl

“So, when you hear that parade coming down the street, spreading joy and love with every note, don’t just listen; join in the march. You never know where it may lead you.” 

“The Storyteller” by Dave Grohl, Page 304

I hear the parade and I am joining in the march with all of my energy and enthusiasm, Dave, and I cannot see where it leads me.  “All my life, I’ve been searching for something, Something never comes, never leads to nothing, Nothing satisfies but I’m getting close, Closer to the prize at the end of the rope…” (“All My Life,” Written by Taylor Hawkins / Christopher A. Shiflett / David Eric Grohl / Nate Mendel, Performed by Foo Fighters)

This is not a fangirl post. This is not a groupie post. This is an honest declaration of appreciation and gratitude for someone who has made a positive difference in my life through his words and by his example (and who will probably never read this).

Thank you, Dave Grohl, for lighting my light with yours. Congratulations on all of your achievements, especially for being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the second time, for overtaking my playlist with your music now in heavy rotation, and for writing one hell of a book. Most of all, thank you for being my hero. “There goes my hero…” (“My Hero,” Written David Eric Grohl / Nate Mendel / Pat Smear, Performed by Foo Fighters)

And thank you, Universe, for your awesomeness and for continuing to guide me.

Thanks for joining me on my journey. I’m glad you’re here.

With gratitude,

Jill

“A Storyteller on ‘The Storyteller’” was posted on jillocone.com on November 10, 2021. Views and opinions expressed in this post are solely those of the writer, who was not endorsed or compensated in any manner by any entity; views do not represent any employer. Copyright 2021, Jill Ocone. All rights reserved. Contact jillocone@gmail.com with reposting, licensing, and publishing inquiries.