March 21, 2007 Issue #039 – Favorite Things

From Tom Gilbert – Editor and Writer, www.your-life-your-story.com

In this Issue:

Opening remarks: Spring is here!
Featured Article: Some of My Favorite Things
Resources You Can Use: Video Biographies, Iraq War Veterans Memorial, The iMemoryBook

Opening Remarks: Spring is Here!

We’ve had a run of nice weather here in New Mexico. In fact, last week we even had days with record high temperatures, nearly 80 degrees.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend a wedding of a couple of friends. It was a beautiful ceremony at the Loretto chapel in Santa Fe. Ray and Pam have each been married before and they have grown children and now grandchildren. Most of them were in attendance. It was a fun reception and a pleasure to be at this great event for these two fine people.

Weddings are one of those special events that bring together lots of people and make powerful memories. I encourage those thinking about doing an iMemoryBook to consider a wedding or anniversary as the subject.

I always appreciate the opportunity to present another ezine issue to you. You can always email me with questions and comments. I welcome the feedback.

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While the main focus of this newsletter is to share thoughts, ideas, and insights on life story writing you should know that I offer various services and also mention some products and services that can be helpful. You are under no obligation to purchase anything, but if any of these products or services are helpful and you decide to utilize them then I am most grateful.

Thanks for reading. – Tom

Featured Article: Some of My Favorite Things

Years after my youth I still played ball, only now it was slow pitch softball. I think I peaked in my ball playing skills at about the age of 30. I was an ok player in little league through American Legion ball. But as an adult I became a vacuum in the outfield, a pretty good hitter and a speedster on the base paths. Sure, it was just softball, but it was great fun.

I’ve been thinking about some of my favorite things. I like to read, watch movies, listen to music, go for runs, play pool (especially with my wife – it makes for a fun date night) and a host of other activities. And, of course, I like to write. Those of you who’ve been readers for more than a few issues have probably picked on that.

There is something interesting that goes along with many of my passions. Even though I like doing the activity, sometimes I struggle with it. This is particularly true for me with both running and writing. They can both be difficult. Sometimes I don’t want to do it, but I know that the regular discipline of running and writing are necessary if I want to be able to run a marathon or write a book.

In my life there have been some other things I liked, favorite pastimes that I no longer do. I’ve been clean and sober for nearly sixteen years now. But there was a time that I really liked to drink. I just drank too much. And even though I might have thought I was the life of the party there was plenty of evidence to the contrary. Trouble and my drinking started going hand-in-hand. However, a great byproduct of living sober is I discovered a new way to live that is so much better than my old way. I found a spiritual path and insight into life with a purpose. And this new life has introduced me to many wonderful people. Maybe it has even been the inspiration to this line of work. I am just fascinated with other people’s lives and their stories.

What are your favorite things? Spend some time writing a list and perhaps journaling a bit about your passions. It will put you in touch with your likes (and even your dislikes) and it may be a great start to that story you have inside you.

You can read other articles on life-story writing here.

Resources You Can Use

If you ever decide to preserve a life story using video it can be quite a moving experience, both in recording it, and certainly in viewing the finished product. On the Your Life is Your Story website I have a page with more information on Video Biographies.

One of the companies I recommend for video biography life stories is Stellar Media. Eric and Marian Larson handle writing, editing and video services and can do histories about individuals, families or companies. You can visit their website here.

Iraq War Veterans Memorial

This month we marked the 4th anniversary of the War in Iraq. Our Armed Forces have endured a lot during this time, with many of them pulling more than one tour. I hope and pray that there will soon be a resolution to the conflict, but it is a difficult and violent situation.

If you haven't seen it yet, there is now an online Iraq Veterans Memorial that honors the members of the U.S. armed forces who have lost their lives serving in the Iraq War. The site, hosted by the Brave New Foundation, includes video memories from family, friends and military colleagues. It's very moving. More here.

The iMemoryBook

The iMemoryBook is a great way to write your memoir, tribute books, personal histories – the possibilities are endless. It’s very affordable and easy to build your story online and then have it printed with a beautiful hard or soft cover and with the artwork you want.

I’ve personally used the iMemoryBook process and helped others to do the same. I can help you with yours, if you so desire. This is really a wonderful way to do your family or personal history project. You can write an autobiography, a biography of someone else, a company history, create a wedding or anniversary reminiscence, record your spiritual journey or write a tribute to a loved one who has died.

For more information and to get started visit here

Closing Information

Any comments, ideas or feedback is greatly appreciated. Just reply to this ‘zine and tell me what you think!

Until next time, – keep your story alive!

Tom Gilbert