Have you ever felt like you were watching a story unfold, but the narrator was only telling one side of it? This powerful quote by Chinua Achebe reminds us that whoever holds the pen holds the power to shape reality. When we only hear the perspective of the hunter, the chase looks like a brave adventure, a feat of strength and skill. But if we could sit with the lion, we might hear a story of loss, of survival, and of a life interrupted. It is a profound reminder that truth is often much larger and much more complex than the single narrative we are fed.
In our everyday lives, we experience this all the time in our relationships and even in our own self-perception. We often find ourselves caught up in the 'histories' others write for us. Perhaps a colleague describes you as difficult because you set a boundary, or a friend remembers a moment as a slight against them, ignoring the context of your struggle. We tend to believe the loudest or most polished version of a story, forgetting that the person being spoken about has a whole universe of feelings and reasons that remain unrecorded.
I remember a time when I felt quite small, much like a character in a story I didn't write. I had gone through a period of deep sadness, and to everyone else, it looked like I was simply being withdrawn or unmotivated. The 'history' of my season was being written by observers who saw only the lack of productivity, not the internal battle for healing. It wasn't until I started sharing my own truth, my own 'lion's perspective,' that the narrative began to shift. I realized that I had to be my own historian to ensure my struggles were honored, not just my silence.
This quote invites us to look closer at the stories we accept as absolute truth. It challenges us to seek out the voices that have been silenced or pushed to the margins. It asks us to wonder what the 'prey' is feeling, what the quiet moments contain, and what the unspoken truths might be. There is so much richness hidden in the perspectives we usually overlook if we just take a moment to listen.
Today, I want to encourage you to pick up your own pen. If someone has written a story about you that doesn't feel true, start documenting your own journey. Speak your truth with kindness and courage. Start looking for the missing pieces in the stories you hear every day, and remember that every voice deserves a place in the history of our lives.