Yes! Your Story is Worth Writing!
Okay, so, you nod and say to yourself, “I want to share my stories with my grandkids.”
You’ve compiled a list of childhood memories. Or you’re writing to the prompt: What are some memorable moments from your childhood?
But then you think to yourself, “Do my stories have any value to others really?”
The answer is: YES!!
By their very nature, stories that show how a person grew, lived, learned and evolved are fascinating. There’s even a term for this in literary criticism: Bildungsroman
This life arc is also referred to as a “Coming of Age” story. And everyone has one!
It’s why I often quote Mark Twain to clients (and I adore Mark Twain!).
“There was never yet an uninteresting life. Such a thing is an impossibility. Inside of the dullest exterior there is a drama, a comedy, and a tragedy.”
— Mark Twain
CHOOSING YOUR STORIES, ANY STORIES!
And remember that the moments you write about don’t have to be earth-shattering, go-to-the-Moon events! It could be getting your first bicycle or a doll or toy you always wanted, winning a game of stickball, playing cards with your father or watching your mother cry for the first time or being read to in the warmth of your grandmother’s lap. It could be a quiet moment by yourself in your room or sitting in the grass at a neighborhood park or seeing something on the street where you lived.
“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise.”
― Sylvia Plath
SMALL MOMENTS CAN MEAN A LOT!
Sometimes, a small moment can actually be a BIG moment in disguise! Here’s an example of a simple childhood moment that is actually quite significant.
I interviewed a fellow who grew up poor on the south side of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The area was hilly. There were no paved streets and only slatted boardwalks for sidewalks to cover the rain-soaked mud of winter. There were no parks for children to play in, just empty lots. When the boy turned 13 years old, his father’s health—which had always been poor—improved, as did his job and salary. The family moved down into town, where there were paved roads and sidewalks. Wandering outside after unpacking his few possessions into a chest of drawers, the boy met a couple neighborhood kids. One of them tossed him a red rubber ball. The boy bounced the ball on the pavement, hearing its musical thud as the ball hit the hard surface, feeling it rise back up into his hands. He was thirteen years old, and it was the first time he had ever bounced a ball.
What are your iconic moments?
When my interviewee told me this story, he didn’t think it was worth including. BUT, he remembered it for a reason! It took place in a split second and yet remained an image in his head for seven more decades.
It was an iconic moment. An iconic moment creates a lasting image or memory in your mind, because it was important or impressive as a symbol of something in your life. It could even be representative of a theme or pattern in your life.
As I heard about this man’s iconic moment, I kept thinking of his grandkids, who probably had a dozen balls to play with before they were two! To bounce a ball was something they just took for granted. And, in the writing of this story, that bouncing red ball also became a symbol of his family’s changing situation, their good fortune.
In sharing his iconic moment, it thus took on meaning for others!
MOMENTS WHEN LIFE CHANGED COURSE
There are also moments in our lives we call defining moments. This is when a certain thing happened that changed our life trajectory. Can you think of some in your life?
Defining moments happen throughout our lives! Some we see as such at the time. Some we only recognize with reflection.
Sometimes a defining moment is as simple as turning left instead of right or an on-the-spot decision you made or someone made for you, a book you read or movie you saw that inspired an epiphany. It could be meeting someone new or having some new experience. It could be an obstacle, like an injury or illness that lead you to discover some new interest.
Most often, we don’t recognize defining and iconic moments while they are happening. But, they are the moments we remember. They become more significant through our reflection, writing about them, and sharing them with others.
Yes, you’ve got many stories worth writing! Set a timer for ten minutes, sit at your desk, and either get out a pen or open that new Word doc. You’ve got this!