It's Never Too Late...

To Write

Your stories are like no other.
Your experience.
Your view.
Your hopes, losses, triumphs.
Are unique.
Record them.
Invent them.
Write them.

"You can only write about what bits you"
Tom Stoppard

Don't ever doubt the power of the pen. You don't have to look any farther than the journalists covering the plane that ended up in the Hudson River. When the incident was breaking news, you couldn't help but hear about the plane crash. One hundred and fifty plus people, and there wasn't information on the extent of injuries.

This was meant to keep you waiting for the details. Once it was stated that everyone was able to disembark the plane with minimal injuries, I was free to become quite annoyed with the media coverage. The plane didn't crash, the plane didn't have to make a crash landing. The plane lost power and the pilot skillfully made an emergency landing in the Hudson River.

So as not to misstep I consulted with a pilot. I asked him if he was as frustrated with the reporting as I was. He was in fact as bothered by the adjectives as I was. Being a pilot he was thrilled to see that Sully was a "gray beard" and skirted the 'Hero' nomenclature because he was just doing his job. I will maintain that Sully was a hero, as to most civilians, he was.

Writing though, shouldn't stop there. Writing is how history is passed down. The dawn of the electronic age has created a lot of writers...Google BLOG for many examples. There are wonderful blogs out there, fun to read - interesting - educational.

I though, would like to see more pen on the paper writing. Children believe the five miles up hill both ways barefoot in the driving snow for only so long. Write down what school was really like for you when you were your grandchild's age. Write down cute stories that you want to remember and pass on.

Anything written on paper is real. It's tangible, it's comforting - if you want to connect with someone, get an old letter out that they sent you...read it and remember. Of all the things my parents have given me, and there are many - what I cherish most is the letters and cards that they gave me.

My father wrote how it was a good thing that the train they were on, the Orient Express, was indeed an express as it wasn't real spacious. Or how they were getting tired of Spanish food because (close your ears Rachel Ray) all the food was cooked in Olive Oil.

So, I offer the challenge, write it in pen on paper. Document the people, places and things that made you who you are. It's the stories on paper that your family will cherish - that they will pull out after you're gone to seek advice or comfort. Put aside the keyboard and do it the old fashion way!