You spent the first 10 years on this earth with little control over what happened. Family life wasn’t the fluffy, feel-good version many kids live today. The Great Depression cast a shadow across the nation and was an ever-present threat in the mind of every parent. Yet, hopefully, you had some good times along the way.
Your second decade of life ushered in the fabled “coming of age.” The opposite sex became noteworthy. You got serious with school, work, and more work. Depending on your age, that “work” may have included battling through world-changing wars and living to tell the tale. (Thank you.)
During the 1960s, you were probably raising a family and seeing new attitudes reflected in rock and roll music and psychedelic peace signs. Of course, you were still working – manufacturing was booming, technology was a glimmering possibility, space was a stunning reality – and passenger jet travel was introducing us to the world previously known only through National Geographic. Time marched on.
Your 40s and 50s saw children fly the coop, and just maybe you started thinking about a little freedom for yourself – ahh, yes.
And then, just like that, you were ready to retire. Boom. Whether you experienced elation or depression, make no mistake. You have much to offer the world in wisdom and experience. Your window is completely unique, unlike any other. And you are completely free to tell your story. The up-and-coming generation needs to hear what you have to say.
This is a call for all people ages 70 and up! Get a notebook, fire up the computer or get a voice recorder.
Interested but not sure where to start? Consider starting a journaling group where you join together for a time of writing. Maybe a group project sounds good. You decide. Ask an organizer to help. Talk amongst yourselves. There are as many ways to share your stories as there are to record them. The world is struggling. Your stories can help. Don’t let them go untold.
