I've always loved stories and I have a fondness for a good storyteller because in this day and age, they are getting harder to come by.
Tanner Latham is a wonderful storyteller who I was fortunate to meet at the Southern Food Writing Conference. He actually spoke at the conference, along with his main squeeze Jennifer Davick, a talented filmmaker & storyteller in her own right.
Latham is the creative mastermind behind the podcast "Authentic South." It explores our southern culture through all the things that make the south great: food, art, music, folks, travel, etc.
During the conference session, I was furiously scribbling notes about how to tell better stories, how to capture them using audio and video, and other practical advice when something struck me that caused me to stop my note taking and jot down thoughts of another kind.
This is what I wrote:
There are people who feel like they cause things to happen. And they love taking credit for the things they feel responsible for. But then there are people who are honored to be part of something they understand existed long before them and will continue long after. They are humbled to be part of something bigger than themselves and they realize they can be part of it in a way that enriches the lives of the rest of us.
This is the impression I got from Tanner Latham. He seemed so appreciative of the opportunity he has been given to tell the stories of others. Same for Jennifer Davick. Here are these two mega talented individuals who have achieved a ton of success but they were so humble and gracious. It's like they recognize the great honor that comes with someone allowing you to tell his story.
Some people are impressed by who you know, where you've been or what you have. I'm impressed by people who pursue their passions and in doing so, make it okay for the rest of us to do the same.
Check out the Authentic South podcast and learn more about Tanner here.
Check out Jennifer Davick's great work here.