I was thinking the other day, that I need to ask my mom a lot of questions, so that I know every detail of the time that she was growing up and stuff. I think I started to think about it when my husband asked me something about what hospital she was born in. I knew that she was born in Huntington Beach, but I didn't know what time, or what hospital. I mean, we are close, and I know a lot about when she was growing up, but I don't know all the specifics, like what age she moved where, and little stuff like that. Then I was thinking that if I asked her all of that, it would seem weird to her probably, maybe like I was writing a book to remember her by when she passes away (which as far as I know, and hope, is a long long time from now) - So I was thinking that would be weird. Then I read the little book put out by People that is biographical about Rosie Odonnell - I read that, and thought, holy crap not enough has happened in my 26 years to write a book about.. would I ever have enough to fill a book? Wow. One time I had to write my own autobiography for a therapy type class I was taking. Some people turned their's in with like 20+ typed pages.. Me? 2.5 pages... Just goes to show I am not a writer..
But..
There is all this blogging that I have been doing. I could print this out, and probably have a few pages or more. But, this is not a book. Not really a journal either. Well, I guess technically it is a WebLog...
I just wonder, how people sit down and write 2-4 hundred pages about their life. I mean, its great, and I have read some REALLY good biographies. I just wonder how everyone that has written them gets their story to be that many pages.. what to put in, what to leave out? I guess my role in life wasn't to ever be an author, but I think it is very cool. Very cool. Biographies are probably my favorite type of book, and if it is an autobiography, even better :):)
To all the writers out there, I tip my hat :) Good going..
PS:
I heard on the news yesterday that Bush has passed a new law called "real ID" - I was interested in it only because soon, when you go to renew your driver's license, you will need to provide your birth certificate, and your old ID, and social security card, and proof of address. (utility bill or something) - That just stood out for me, because though I have all those other pieces, I have been meaning to order a copy of my birth certificate for years.. Guess I had better get on that now.. especially if my driver's license is going to depend on it!!!!!!
3 comments:
last semester in my english class...we had to write an essay about ourselves...but of course there were condition...
we couldn't say anything negative...we had to choose 3 adjectives that describe ourselves and not feel like we were boasting and bragging etc...
at first i went into shock...because i tend only to look at my negative qualities (i think we are that way by nature) anyway...
i wrote the essay...and i was suprised at how good it made me feel to actually sit down and write about the good things that i am.
my english teacher ALWAYS reminded us that....YOU LEARN TO WRITE BY WRITING...
I hadn't heard that about new licenses. I really need to get a new copy of my birth certificate. It's so old that is't actually falling apart! I have it taped in several places.
LOL, Cindy...my original copy of my birth certificate is folded into 8th, i think, sitting zipped in a pocket of my day planner that i ceased using in ohhhh about 1996 - the certificate is torn and tattered and worn it really is pathetic how i've treated it...hmmm, a refelction of how i treat myself? Probably!
Lu~ Hmm, what a great excercize in writing to have to do...i think i'll try it. thanks for sharing!
Angel~ Ask your mom the questions! She might be flattered that you care to know more about her and about your family history.
The year after i had graduated from high school, two friends of mine from high school theatre and i decided on a Friday night while other people our age were out partying and being wild, that we would go hear a lecture given by Alex Haley - the author of "Roots". We were all so glad that we did!
We drove up to Purdue Calumet in Hammond, IN and found our seats in the crowd, close to the front and settled in for - we didn't know what? He spoke about how "Roots" came to be, and i was mesmorized with his stories. He talked about how his mother and the women folk in her family would gather each summertime with their children at a family members' home. The women would sit on the porch talking about old times and things that happened in their family for generations - all while they snapped green beans or worked on mending, tending to things that needed to be done - sharing those chores together and creating more memories.
Alex and the other children would work hard at playing and then come to sit in the cool shade of the porch, sipping on lemonade as they listened to the women talk and share stories. Apparently the stories really hit Alex and there clearly came a time in his life when he put them into a book. However, that was not the point of his lecture that day, his point was to gather your family history while you still could, it's of value - tremendous value - and once we lose the people who hold or lived those memories, that history is lost forever.
I really took what he had to say to heart. I repeatedly tried to get family history from my paternal grandparents, my maternal ones had both passed; Pa, my mom's father, passing just after my high school graduation - the history he could have told me, lost. After his passing - dirt started coming out on that side...affairs, illegitemate children, half-siblings to my mom, his alcoholism that i never knew about, you name it! My Gramma Julia on my dad's side though, had very little she wanted to share. It frustrated me. And my grandfather was even more quiet and quite stoic. They too are gone now, but thankfully i have learned some things from other people, my dad's cousins up in WI have gathered great amounts of information going all the way back to Poland. I hope to have access to all the information some day so that i can save it, not for my own children as i doubt Deb and i will ever have any biological children - but for my brothers' children who may be interested some day.
Talk to your mom. ;)
Hugs!
~Suz~
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