"Your past is your story up to now. The future is the story yet to come. The present is where you live with that experience, your hopes and your dreams."

Opening Remarks: The Walk of Life

As we all walk through life we have many different experiences. Occasionally big events happen that connect us or bring us the awareness that despite our individual journeys we are all in this thing called life together. Life is a journey, not a destination, and we must face life’s difficulties and walk through them.

The recent hurricanes and the devastation that resulted in the Gulf Course is one example. Many people are dealing with loss of home or bad storm damage. And many other people are reaching out to help. The human spirit can be very strong.

The financial challenge our country is now facing is another one of those situations that affects us all. It’s not going to be easy to deal with and it can certainly make us angry when we see how greed and flawed investment strategies have created a mess that requires a government rescue plan with taxpayers footing the bill.

Nevertheless, we must face up to life’s challenges – like it or not. We can persevere and do the “walk of life”. Out of our pain and suffering often come triumphant stories that we can pass on to others, to offer hope and inspiration when more trouble comes.

Sometimes we have to slow our pace and recognize the good things we have today. It was in the spirit of that gratitude that I wrote a story a few years ago. “The Walk” is about my son and I. I’ve reprinted a portion of it as this issue’s feature. I believe it demonstrates writing “from the heart” and perhaps it will inspire you to do some reflecting and writing.

Thank you to all who continue to read this monthly newsletter and for those of you who have recently subscribed.

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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: The Walk

"Dad, can you wait for me to take your walk?"

My seven year-old son was looking up at me expectantly. His eyebrows were arched over his brown eyes and his close cropped hair was sticking up in three different directions.

"Can ya, Dad? Just fifteen minutes."

I looked away from my e-mail and smiled at Eric. "Sure, but hurry up and get your homework done. You need to do good on your spelling test".

"I know! I will." He shuffled off to his room and I wondered again at how my parents' voice comes out of my mouth.

About twenty minutes later he is finally done writing out those words and I grab my hat and sunglasses and head for the door. He's hurrying behind, but just as I get to the screen door he calls out.

"Wait! I need to bring along my flag!"

I pause and murmur, "ok", and wait on the sidewalk leading from the front door. Eric comes running back holding his checkered race flag.

As we head across the front lawn and towards the break in the wall that leads to the path around the floodplain I find myself smiling at the colorful New Mexico spring sky. Blue, grey and white spread out in a mixture of thin stratus and billowing thunderheads. The Sandia Mountains tower majestically, as always. We start a brisk walk, bent into the wind that is blowing strong enough to give Eric a challenge in holding onto his waving flag.

"Hey, Dad! Are these staples stronger than regular ones". He's pointing at the staples his Mom recently used to attach, again, the flag to the wooden stick. I examine them more closely. "Yes, I think so, son."

"Good", he grins. "I wouldn't want it to come off!" With newfound confidence he waves the flag back and forth as we trudge down the dirt path pass backyard walls and on to the hill that rises to the top of a gravelly access road. It is really built for foot traffic and bikes, but occasionally a city truck will travel it. Not to mention dogs and horses.

More than once I will steer Eric out of the way of droppings.

We come to a steep incline and slowly climb past the big boulders to the top. We both are breathing harder. At the top of the road we have a quarter mile or so to the other side of the floodplain and the wind is strongest here. I have to steady my hat a couple of times and my son's flag is going great guns. Eric wonders why I walk so fast. I'm wondering why I have to slow down so much. No worries, it is good to be together, father and son time.

Read the rest of this story here.

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

Resources You Can Use

Do you have a family history, personal history, or life story business that offers products and services? It is a growing field and more and more people are looking for good products and services to help them. Often the potential client is unsure just what kind of help they need or is available.

The Your Life is Your Story business I operate requires me to use ongoing networking and marketing techniques. I focus most of my efforts around this website and newsletter. My website generates a lot of daily traffic, plus I research various ways to preserve family history. As a member of the Association of Personal Historians I learn from, network with, and contribute to the community of personal historians. I can help your business or product reach potential customers. Contact me to discuss how.

In the First Person

In the First Person is a free, high quality, professionally published, in-depth online index of close to 4,000 collections of personal narratives in English from around the world.

As they state at the website, “To describe the database purely in terms of numbers misses the wonder of the stories and individuals that the index points to. Here you can search and explore the personal thoughts of thousands of individuals from all walks of life and through hundreds of years of history. It's a unique tool that can search such a broad swathe of human thought so easily.”

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