BEAUTIFUL BIOGRAPHIES / MEMORABLE MEMOIRS

Our loved ones and friends will always have their memories of us but memories can be vague and unsubstantial. The best way to give them substance and to be sure they are remembered is to write everything down—put it in writing, black-on-white. Words on paper solidify thoughts, more so than words on a computer screen. Words on paper between the hard covers of a book have been the traditional and primary means of imparting knowledge, meaning and pleasure to the world for centuries. Countless people have been inspired and exhilarated by the immortal authors whom they met through a book: Shakespeare…Dumas…Fitzgerald…Hemingway and many more. Holding a book in your hands brings an entirely different feeling to reading than viewing words on a screen. It seems more personal and less robotic. It sidesteps the ubiquitous technology that has enveloped our lives. It just seems more human.

Reflect for a moment. How did most of you in your sixties, seventies, eighties and beyond learn about the world, about history and about the great names who formed that history? You learned through television and movies, yes, but primarily through books. When you really wanted to get serious about learning any topic, you got your hands on a good book, curled into your favorite chair and were transported to a different time and place. There is just something good about the feeling of that book in your hands that technology misses.

Think of the way it will make you feel to have your name as the title of a book! The realization of importance and self-worth that that conveys is priceless. Performing this undertaking will set you apart from most people, engendering a consciousness of being special. Think again about structure— in completing your narrative you attain closure, in a manner of speaking. You will have molded a feeling of order that gives new meaning to your life. Your existence now makes complete sense. Think again of your family. Put yourself in their place. They need you to do it. Imagine the satisfaction they will realize. Think outside the box and escape from your own perspective. Accept one word of caution, though. Unless you are a professional writer, do not do it yourself. Even if you are, it is still not ideal, because you cannot be objective. Hire someone who has done it for others.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime project. The older you get and the more you delay, the less likely it is that you will ever perform this vital task. None of us has unlimited time. Do not waste what time remains to you. Do it before you run out of time.