Journaling ~ Writers Author
Write A Way: Journey to Creativity
Family History - Making the Past Present
By Sandra Lee Schubert
"History will be kind to me for I intend to write
it."
~ Sir Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965)
My uncle recently sent me a photo of my mother, sister and me from long ago
happier times. My cousin's husband had repaired a scratch on the photo and
made enlargements for me. The original photo was likely taken in one of those
booths at carnivals and fairs. I was about six in the photo. I don't remember
it being taken. It looks like we jumped into the booth just in time. My head is
just over the edge of the bottom on the photo. My mother and sisters head touch
and I rest just below as the perfect point to the bottom of the photo. We are
all smiling. I have kept the smaller photo in front of me on my desk or dresser
for many years. I will give my sister one of the enlargements for Christmas.
My mother has been gone for 24 years. A lifetime has passed. My father was gone
by the time the photo was taken. Then, we were the brave women in new territory,
young and on our own.
"As you are writing the story of your life, you are taking
a stand and naming yourself in the history."
~ Sandra Lee Schubert, Lesson 16
Writing for Life: Creating a Story of Your Own
I wish my parents had lived longer - they were both too young to leave this
world. I wish I could talk to them about life and their history. Nonetheless,
I know they live in my sister and me - and it is up to us to tell their story.
My friend Phyllis has taken to interviewing people. Not famous or familiar
people but people who have stories that may never get a chance to be heard. She
talks to the elders who have lost their tribe. As families disperse and scatter
we acquire a new one - a world family.
"Without words, without writing and without books there
would be no history, there could be no concept of humanity."
~ Hermann Hesse Swiss (German-born) author (1877 - 1962)
What is your history?
A narrative of events or a story, your particular history is unique. One
perspective does not define a family history. If you can relate the tale of how
you came to be, then creating great feats of imagination is easier. There is
intrigue, drama, love, deep sadness and incredible happiness in all our lives.
Once you have identified these traits in your own family, it gives a framework
for stories of invention.
"We live in a moment of history where change is so speeded
up that we begin to see the present only when it is already
disappearing."
~ R. D. Laing
Someone told me they weren't old enough to begin writing their life story. I
have said it before but it bears repeating, each of us has value. You may not
become president or win a million dollars on a reality show but you have
something incredible to share.
Our stories
are ongoing creations. As we write the past we write into the future. Start
today. My parents were exceptionally young when they passed away and I am
certain they thought there was all the time in the world.
"Anyone can look for fashion in a boutique or history in a
museum. The creative explorer looks for history in a hardware store and fashion
in an airport." ~ Robert Wieder
At some point we have lost the ability for storytelling.
I remember large unwieldy family parties where we sang songs and related tales
of how each of us came into being. My sister was almost born in a cab. My
mother had a police escort across the 59th bridge to get to Saint Vincent's
hospital in downtown Manhattan. I lived in one of the first apartment buildings
created with yards in the back. The building still stands. It was so old there
was no insulation in the walls and each winter we chipped ice from the inside of
our windows. The land just behind the yards was once used as a stable. My father
worked there when he was young. Imbedded in the sidewalk was a horseshoe to mark
the spot. I would trace the cold metal with my finger connecting me to a distant
past. At the entrance to the stable my father had planted a maple tree. My
mother, sister and I cried when the tree was cut down one year because it had an
infestation of gypsy moths. It had been a living reminder of a young boy who
grows to marry, fathered two girls and died too young.
"History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived,
however, if faced with courage, need not be lived again."
~ Maya Angelou, US author & poet (1928 - )
I tell the stories of my parents not to depress but to impress upon you the
importance of sharing of yourself with those you love. Begin to
write your story
now. Carve out time to explore who you are and where you came from.
Creative Writing prompts:
Look at the things you have learned and seen. A quiet life is not an empty life
- it is full of wishes and dreams that deserve expressing. Begin simply.
Choose a decade. Any one decade that appeals to you. Write a
short paragraph for each year in the decade. A brief outline of some your
prominent memories. It does not have to be accurate. Dates and details may be
elusive. Get into the practice of recalling things. From those paragraphs pick
one that really jumps out. Write at least one page try for more.
Pretend you are an interviewer. Interview yourself. Ask a first
question - Where were you born? Don't think about it too much, just ask and
answer questions letting your subconscious reveal your history to you.
Though the pages are numbered
I can't see where they lead
For the end is a mystery no-one can read
In the book of my life.
Sting, song - The Book of My Life, from Sacred Love
I have revealed some of my history. In my life, there are great moments of joy
and sadness. There are just average days that add up to a life. I may never
become a celebrity and receive wide world fame but I know my family loves me and
I exist in them as they live in me. Don't be afraid of your history. It is a
wonderful and vibrant thing. Each day you live is a contribution to the world.
Additional Resources to check out:
Profiles in Wisdom
Site dedicated to gathering wisdom from our much-overlooked elders.
Ancestry.com
A source for tracing your family roots.
Writing for Life: Creating a Story of Your Own
A Self-Healing Expressions e-course.
Sandra Schubert is the creator and instructor for the Self-Healing Expressions
e-course
Writing for Life: Creating a Story of Your Own.
To learn more about Sandra and her course, click here:
Copyright © 2004 Sandra Lee Schubert. All rights reserved. If you are interested
in publishing this article, please email
.
|
