The Contemporary Quest Companion

     Stories are fascinating. Many might say they serve no purpose, but I think many lives, myself included, would be evidence of the contrary. I have learned--perhaps more in recent years--that stories can be much more than entertainment. Sometimes, they teach better lessons than any lesson plan. Stories shape us.      My relationship with stories began in the early stages of my life; it began at the beginning, go figure. My mom would read to me when I was little, and she tells me that I would catch her if she tried to skip a part. I usually got excited to read aloud in class and enjoyed it when our teachers would tell us personal tales or read novels to us. Reading Eragon by Christopher Paolini would change my life forever: it was where I got the idea to write a book of my own. Finishing it at 12 years old was one of my proudest childhood achievements, and since then, I typically prefer page counts of 500 or more.      Stories are one...