A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

“A story is based on what people think is important, so when we live a story, we are telling people around us what we think is important.” Donald Miller, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years Everyone has a story, yet too often we rush through our day, year, and life without stopping to hear and learn from the stories of others. The point of this assignment is to challenge you to give the gift of active listening to someone here at Concordia. Find a Concordia employee and ask to visit with them. This should not be like an interview – more like a conversation. While the emphasis should be on the person you are interacting with, you are welcome to respond to their story and engage in a conversation with the other person. Find someone here at Concordia willing to “tell their story” of how/why they are at Concordia. LISTEN to what they choose to share. Be sure to tell your storyteller that you will be sharing their story. These stories don’t have to be major life tales, but you may find that they could be just that. After your meeting, write a simple 2-3 page (double spaced) reflection of your experience. Provide a very brief (a couple of paragraphs) summary of their story in the paper and then reflect on what you gained from connecting with this person. Your gains may be practical aspects or on a more personal connection level. Essays should have good grammatical structure including spelling and grammar rules like capitalization. You should also include some kind of introduction and conclusion. Be sure to include the name of the person you visited with and the role they fill on campus. You are welcome to speak with anyone who works on the campus. I encourage you to use this opportunity to connect with your faculty advisor but that is not required. You must visit with your person either face-to-face (preferred) or by phone call. A live chat room would be acceptable. No emails or texts other than to set up an appointment.