The reason a simple statement of a truth isn't as powerful as a story is because a truth, standing on its own, is meaningless. It is only when that truth is placed in a context, a story, that it has meaning. I remember long ago when word started coming out about mass starvation in Bangladesh. People in general thought, "Interesting. What's on TV?" It wasn't until photos and news video of starving children started coming out that the world said, "OMG! There are children starving in Bangladesh!" Those images told the story people needed to hear. Even when a simply stated truth does speak to you it is because you are able to see that truth in the context of your personal story. As to a point Shannon made about the power of novels, the more invested you are in a story, the more it becomes your story, and the greater the impact on you, which is why novels, which require your full involvement, can be so powerful. The more you give, the more you connect. (Which is why no one connects more closely to a child than that child's mother.) Story plus investment --> meaning --> change.

Shannon, you are a genious! That was so funny! I think you need to do a series of autobiographical comic adventures. By the way, happy birthday!