Another version of the essay was published in a national magazine. This resulted in even more letters. I know what it's like to live with an abuser. As a writer, I could give voice to their stories, setting each down in such a way that its unique heartbeat could be felt. I do so with the full understanding that any story imposes a burden on the listener.
Stories demand as much as they give, because listeners are integral to the storytelling process.
Listening to stories is not a passive act. The listener becomes the story, and so the story lives on. The museum's goal is to tell the stories of the millions of Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, artists, musicians, actors, and others who perished during this deliberate campaign of mass murder. Millions have visited the museum since it opened in 1991. Many others come simply to learn.