Your Story May Touch Someone Else

Time and time again in my writing classes for people over 50, I see how much the class members are touched by each other's stories. Some students think they don't have much to write about or that "I can't write." But once they put something down on paper and read it aloud in the class, something quite remarkable happens.

One woman comes to mind whose vision is poor and whose memory is not the best. She doesn't have very high self-esteem, and she often says she can't think of what to write. Sometimes her writing is not much more than a sketch of an idea. But every now and then, her passion about something or someone takes hold and she gets emphatic details on the page. When she reads aloud what she's written, everyone is caught up in her story. They want to know more.

 The truth is, we all love stories. We love to listen to them and to tell them. We are amused by them. We learn from them. We are moved by them. They may remind us of something in our mind or heart. They may give us a new window on the world. They may give us information we're glad to have. Somewhere I read a quote -- maybe you can help me with this if you know the right wording or where it came from -- about our need for stories being stronger than our need for bread (food).

 Recently, the woman who hesitates to write chose to read one of her pieces aloud in class, and afterwards another class member told her how inspired he was by her courageous attitude that was apparent in the story. She told me later, "Maybe I do have something to offer, after all."

What's that something you have to offer? Maybe it won't be obvious until you start writing it down and sharing it with others. This blog is a good starting place to tell something about your story, your outlook, your wisdom. The next step is to turn your writing into a longer and fuller telling of your story.

Find something that matters to you from your past and get started.

I have to say that writing my own memoir was a very satisfying journey of discovery. It helped me see certain patterns in my life. It helped me find moments of courage and triumph. It helped me get more honest with myself. It helped me make sense of some lingering hurts. And now, as people read it and tell me how it has touched their lives, it feels like a child I gave birth to that has left home to go out in the world -- it makes me smile.

 Come visit me and learn more of my story at www.patsamples.com. Maybe I can help you tell your story too.