The Meaning of life.... through stories

In his book "man's search for meaning " Viktor Frankl says that life is the question, the answer we give to it, is its meaning.
So the search for meaning depends not on our set of circumstances, but rather lies in the answer we provide to all that life throws at us.

A sort of "if life gives you lemons, make lemonade" except that having developed his philosophy in concentration camps, his focus wasn't necessarily on the bowl of cherries.

Now I hear some of you getting impatient, "enough of this" you demand to hear (read) how all this could possibly connect to stories...patience my friend...everything is possible after midnight in the blogosphere...
Here it goes:
Stories could be called (and I've just decided to do so...) the school for man's search for meaning.

There is a character, the hero and then a trigger,something happens, and it leads the hero to take action. In a way, the tale is the hero's response to the questions asked by life. The hero is never passive, all events in the story touch him, he never says:

"A dragon? Well, as long as he's not in my back yard..."
"The princess lives in a tower awaiting delivery? Hmm, I hope the authorities will deal with it!"
"Here is a guy drinking up the sea? Whatever floats his boat!"

In tales, the characters feel concerned by all the events, and they act, they answer the question posed by life, thus giving meaning to their story, their lives become quests.
Reading tales, bathing children in tales is a way to prepare them, and remind us that life is to be lived, not just observed, watched, reflected upon.

Life and everything in it is a question and your life gains its meaning when you answer it, your answer, your reaction, your choices and actions become your story.

So what's your answer to the latest curve ball life threw at you?  Choose your attitude, be the s/hero of your own story....