Shrinking My Life to 1000 Words or Less Blog.
For as long as I can remember, I love to tell stories of my experiences. My family and friends know this well. For Christmas 2021 I was given a kickstart to start writing or recording what are my favourite reflections.
My eldest daughter enrolled me in a Lifelong Learning Program at Carleton University in Ottawa. It is described as “Memoir Writing: Stories from Your Life” with Dr. Anna Rumen. Daughter number two gave me a video camera with accessories so I can record my ramblings for posterity.
The course has only one more week to go, and I’m having a great time remembering so many of my life experiences. One of my main problems is that I don’t know how to type very well, and I had to talk my son into doing this for me.
This was sometimes difficult. It was suggested to me to download a dictation program on my phone that I can send to my email for corrections, additions and deletions. This was a great idea and I’m now getting the hang of it. Now I just have to learn not to mumble. Editing my dictation can be onerous. I’m also somewhat computer challenged, but with help, I am definitely improving to the point where I am almost independent.
This is quite a relief, and has increased my volume of memoir submissions. This exercise has made me go through boxes of pictures albums and discs to bring life and detail to my memories. It also spurs me to do online searches for more particulars about my subjects such as: Dunlichity Church; Charles Ewart etc. This is becoming an explosive learning experience in many ways.
The course is almost over, but I feel like I’m just at the start. My wife and I might kids have read most of my submissions. My eldest daughter, without my knowledge, has posted several of these on Facebook.
To my surprise, I’m receiving some very positive feedback. An example is one from my son-in-law who sent me the following message:
“Hey Dave! I have just read ALL of your chapters! I’m hooked. It’s amazing!!! Well done sir. I can’t wait to read more.”
Feedback for back like that is like pouring gas on a fire. My list of memoirs continues, not just to increase but almost more like erupt. These ideas are not just coming for me, but now increasingly so from my kids and my wife.
As instructed, my writing now has a home…. very much still under construction. My introduction, conclusion, table of contents and title are slowly coming together.
My reflections have impacted my life, in ways mentioned above, but also creating a kind of excitement in me, as I slowly contemplate retirement.
“Go Fearward” is great advice. This opens up another great area to explore. Thanks Anna, I’m having a great time.