The Map is not the Territory

The stories we tell about our lives are like maps that allow us to hold longer narratives and sequences of events than we would be able to hold otherwise. However, the map is not the territory. What happens to me is not the story I tell someone when they ask how my day has been. This is why total non-sequiturs in a story can create authenticity, because "Why would someone make that up?"

Having said that,

a) Love is a story told to a friend/It's second hand. -- Joni Mitchell, "Conversation" and

b)This map is totally great.