My father was not an expert writer, but he did not let that stop him. In his prime, he spent long, smoky evenings pecking away at his typewriter, composing strongly worded letters to enlighten ne’er-do-wells (his forte) and a book on effective management. Towards the end of his life, however, he gave his family an amazing gift: his memoir. Today is his birthday, so I thought I would celebrate by sharing Ruth Arlene and Me.
He wrote Ruth Arlene and Me to memorialize his relationship with his sister when he learned that they were both approaching the end of their lives. In part a love story for her, it recounts their Iowa childhoods in the depression-laden 1930s and 40s, lives of adventure and enterprise in “town” and on the farm. He preserved a wonderful treasure of family history for his children, his grandchildren and his sister’s children, and with that he created an invaluable legacy.
His memoir illustrates an important lesson for the rest of us and especially for other memoirists: You are not the most important character in your life story—it is the other people in your life who give it meaning and who make it interesting. His best characters are the people who touched his life, who abetted his schemes and who helped him through difficulties. That is a great lesson to be mindful of as we carry on our lives, but it is also a powerful tool for memoirists figuring out how to make their stories more engaging.
If the thought of writing your memoir leaves you wondering why anyone would want to read it, think about the other people in your life and how they have improved it. You can appreciate their efforts on your behalf by preserving them in your memoir, and it is an easy way to make your story riveting and instructive for your readership. To see how my father did it, read Ruth Arlene and Me; for help writing your own memoir (or to get your dad started writing his), click here!
Happy 85th Birthday, Dad!
