The January 2009 Reader's Digest had an article about autobiographical writing. Instead of encouraging readers to write autobiographies, as we know autobiographies, the writer encouraged readers to write memoirs, a collection of stories from their lives.
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I have thought about that idea a few times since reading that article. I like the idea of writing stories from my life as they come to me and not concern myself about whether or not I am writing stories in chronological order or if I am remembering to write about all the things I ought to write about. I also like the idea that these stories need not be long.
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I typed manuscript for an autobiography my mother wrote. As I typed it, I learned a lot about her and her family; I was amazed at the details she seemed to remember. I have no idea if anything was mixed up or whatever, as I wasn't there when she was growing up -- obviously.
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I think about how much easier it would be for her -- and my father -- to write stories from their lives. I think about the same for me. There are times when memories are triggered, and I think it would be fun to write about them. Some ideas ran through my mind as I watched slides from the late 1950s into the mid-1960s. There are other times when activities or just talking trigger memories of stories that can be told.
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Do, I am thinking of working at doing something like this. I am also thinking that there will be times when I can perhaps find pictures to add to it. Think about what we could create of our family history if my brothers and sisters also wrote. Some stories may be the same, but the perspective will be different, as well as details remembered.
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I am thinking that next December, if we gather here, I will "assign" everyone's writing a story. I think what a neat thing it would be to compile stories over time in a notebook to give to my parents -- maybe we could even print a book-like copy, as there are on-line publishers.
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Who knows, some of those memories may appear here on the blog!.
