The Art of Story Telling June 02 2015

Bostonians seems to have a knack for story telling. Being able to tell a good story is part of our culture--to be able to hold court and keep our listeners anticipating the next punch line.

When we began Boston Scally Co., we already knew there was something special about Bostonians, whether it was their tenacity, loyalty or the fact that making someone laugh was just as important as anything else.

Many of us grew up in a blue-collar setting under close quarters with family, friends or siblings. Story telling began at the dinner table listening to our old man discuss his days on Cushing Street as a young punk wondering the streets of Cambridge. His stories were always full of wit, candor and exaggeration—my father was very calculated in his delivery. It seemed as though he had an endless amount of stories and great memories with his buddies from the block.

That dinner table became our stage to tell stories.

“You live life to tell stories.”

These were words spoken by my oldest brother that I have often referenced in my head throughout life. It makes perfect sense when you think about it. The bond I share with my brothers and my close buddies are all because of the crazy memories we share from the past and the new ones we create for future reference. We can sit around a bar with a few beers and tell stories until the sun comes up.

Now story telling isn’t so easy—It is a craft you hone over time.

My buddies happen to be really good at it for fear of being the butt of the next joke. You need to have your facts straight and your delivery on point—if you fall short on the punch line you will be hit with a wave of relentless “ball busting” which will continue until everyone has got their shots in. I guess its our show of affection—it is better to be flattered than offended. Our long lasting friendships are built from creating new stories and sharing old ones.

I feel many Bostonians can relate to this because many of us share a similar past and upbringing.

With Boston Scally Co., our goal is always to create a community of friends [not just customers] that can share great stories with each other. When we see someone in the street wearing one of our caps, we want to know their experience behind it. We ask our customers all the time and their responses are priceless—most often comical—they make us laugh and we love it.

So next time you toss a Boston Scally cap on your head—live your life to tell a story.

We want to hear about it over an email, through social media or even a beer at the bar…on us.