For many early Americans, including Douglass, the Exodus was a common reference point in discussions of slavery, and it remained a pillar narrative for African-Americans through the civil-rights movement and into the present.
But other times they become our inner narrative, an unchanging pillar of our belief system.
Parenthood is one of the main pillars of narrative literature, well mined as far back as tales have been sung, remembered or written down.
Some she interviews once; others, who become "pillars" in her narrative, many times.
Whereas Clinton shied away from the historic nature of her candidacy during her first bid for president in 2008, this time around the prospect of electing a woman to the White House has been a central pillar of her narrative.
Cameron's aides have positioned his conference speech as a pillar of the optimistic narrative put forward by the Conservatives in the wake of Corbyn's election as they strive to emphasise the need for "social reform".
Many protesters denounced a narrative that presents their city as a pillar of terrorism in Tunisia.
Tax, trade and transparency, central pillars of David Cameron's "golden thread" narrative, will be high on the agenda.
An example of this type of event is given by the following narrative, which describes an event that occurred during pillar recovery at a West Virginia mine in 1996: "Employee was helping set timbers on pillar line when the top bumped, rolling a coal rib onto his lower back".
They can share the real, concrete narratives of the teachers, doctors, ministers, and other social pillars we only have because we lent them hands in times of need.
