Many Stories ... One Singapore

Courtesy of the NDP website

Our NDP 2013 Theme

Everyone has a story to tell and these stories define who we are as an individual and collectively as a nation. This year’s theme for the National Day Parade (NDP) 2013 is “Many Stories… One Singapore”. It calls on everyone to remember and share the stories that make us who we are and how we identify ourselves as Singaporeans.

“Many Stories…” encourages Singaporeans to tell the story of our personal journey, both individually and collectively as a society, as well as our hopes and aspirations for the future. They can be personal stories or stories we have heard that have touched us. Taken individually, each story shows that we are all unique. Taken together, they tell of who we are as a country.

This leads to “One Singapore” — a culmination of the unique individual stories that represent the many facets of Singapore society. It is a reminder that despite our different backgrounds, we are one Singapore. It emphasises that we are all interconnected through our shared stories and history.

Together, “Many Stories… One Singapore” forms a theme that unites all Singaporeans to celebrate what makes us Singapore.  (Source: NDP website).

The National Day Parade 2013 theme "Many Stories ... one Singapore" coincides with the Singapore Memory Project  and  MyStory .

On this personal blog, I would like to share Tell a Story! A Guide to Storytelling  by Aaron Shepard. Copyright  1990, 1996 by Aaron Shepard. May be freely copied and shared for any noncommercial purpose as long as no text is altered or omitted.

For over 27,000 years, since the first cave paintings were discovered, telling stories has been one of our most fundamental communication methods. Recently a good friend of mine gave me an introduction to the power of storytelling, and I wanted to learn more.

Our brain on stories: How our brains become more active when we tell stories

We all enjoy a good story, whether it's a novel, a movie, or simply something one of our friends is explaining to us. But why do we feel so much more engaged when we hear a narrative about events?

A simple, short story somebody told me:  "I was born in Singapore.  I grew up in Singapore and one day I will die in Singapore".  Same, same.  But please tell us a different story because no two persons have the same story.

My favorite "My Story - Inspirational" from Reader's Digest Asia .

Our lives will be full of defining moments, but those moments don't have to define us.  Everything in life is a learning experience. Few things should be considered defining moments.

Your life will come down to a few defining moments. When those moments come I hope you make the right choices and leave with no regrets.  The greatest American singer Frank Sinatra showed the way with his song "My Way".

This year’s theme song, “One Singapore”, was written with Sing A Nation in mind. Composed by NDP 2013’s Music Director Ms Elaine Chan with the lyrics written by Creative Director Ms Selena Tan, “One Singapore” brings us through some of the hopes and dreams of different Singaporeans, and showcases the dynamic and distinct natures of our people. This is reflective of the Sing A Nation choir, which is made up of ordinary Singaporeans from diverse backgrounds with different dreams.

The prelude and first verse talks about the love that Singaporeans have for the country, even though not everything is perfect. The chorus, deliberately kept simple, signifies how the many differences between people do not keep them from being united as One Singapore, and that “together as one, we’re so much more”. The rap was written with one of the groups, The Dreamers, in mind. The three young singers represent small people with big dreams, and the rap is about how they are willing to give their best to Singapore their home. Each of the Sing A Nation members came in with a different story but are united as Singaporeans, much like the many coloured dots that form the shape of Singapore in NDP 2013’s logo, but. This was the inspiration behind the bridge, where “join up the dots” refers to uniting people together.