My father is my inspiration because he could tell so many stories about growing up in Hackettstown, NJ. In his later years, we spoke one time about his leaving this plane of existence. I said, "Dad, you know what the best thing is you could leave us? Your stories."
He had a very old Royal typewriter purchased decades prior from an office that was getting new electric ones. Over the next year or so, he began to write down his stories on that old typewriter as best he could; pecking away with two fingers (he was a terrible speller!). He finally gave them to me in an old school binder; precious writings I still love to look through and remember when he used to tell them with a twinkle in his eye and laughter in his voice. Boy could he tell a good yarn when he had a drink in his hand and was in the mood! This is his legacy; our family's little piece of American heritage. But the story doesn't end with my dad. My generation has lived a good part of our expected lifespan. What about the stories we can tell and pass to our grandchildren. What a waste not to!
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2 comments:
Connie, I was just telling my oldest daughter about the whole FB thing and getting reconnected with so many precious friends. She didn't know who I was talking about....I thought my gosh, "My kids don't know very much about my life as a child." I decided to begin to write out some of my stories....my autobiography.
How precious that YOUR dad did this for you! He sounds like he was a wonderful man.
Hello Connie! I'm glad to see you are blogging. I hope you don't mind if I follow you. :)
Best,
Mary
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