EVERYBODY HAS A STORY

Recently, I was talking to a fellow professional and was encouraging him to write his memoirs. He said something like, "You (and he named several) have written your stories. There are already too many books and why would I want to add another one to the collection." I know the thinking, you walk into a book store and think, "who is writing all these books?" But, still, what thinking! In his case, since he is a clergyman, it is almost like saying, all the sermons have been preached and all the revelations revealed. Please!

I have another friend who is a wonderful writer, and I have encouraged her over and over. Her correspondence, mostly these days with emails, are treatises and good. But, she continues to resist. Her life, is a wonderful memoir: orphaned in a sense as a small child as her Dad, in a drunken rage, killed her mother. Being raised by an Aunt, who was close to Cruella de ville but good in a way too. Much of her life of pain and pleasure and today one of the most positive people I know. Even in the midst of the ultimate tragedy, a beloved son with enormous promise took his own life, she has soldiered on--an inspiration and a sincere one. She has a story.

It is so sad that more don't write memoirs. I think that the media and the book business in general often discourage would be writers. They have it all wrong with their idea of what makes a good story. Simply, everybody doesn't have to write block busters, not many of those anyway. A Memoirist merely wants to tell her story in the hopes that it might encourage or inspire someone else. How about this? Leaving behind something for your grandchildren is enough of a reason.