Write Your Story

I’m reading an abridged version of Winston Churchill’s history of the Second World War (seriously, who has time for all six volumes if you aren’t doing research?) and it has reminded me of the critical value of writing your own story. Churchill writes in detail about the war (because he can), but he also writes from the perspective of living through the events. I’m a political history major, so I thought I had a good handle on WWII, but I am understanding so much more with Churchill’s book. The same thing is true of us. Every time my mom shares stories of her life – even ones I have heard at least part of before – I understand more about the times, the mood, the sticking points that carried down the years because she is sharing more of her perspective of the event. A friend of mine has included some of her childhood on a farm in her latest book, and I am astounded at all I am learning of what that kind of life entailed. Even if your life has been on the quiet side, uncelebrated outside of a close circle, write your story. It doesn’t have to be memoir. You can include your experience in fiction, in poetry, in a screenplay. We all benefit when we get to see the world through another person’s perspective.

Luck and wisdom!