This post was inspired by the book Cleopatra: A Life where author, Stacy Schiff digs into the history books to share with us who the true Cleopatra was.
I'm a new contributor for the book club From Left to Write and you can read other members posts inspired by this same book on book club day, September 27 at From Left to Write.
Oprah says we all have a story. And since you're here, living and breathing... You are living, right? You are breathing, right? I haven't heard of any recent zombie attacks, so I think it's safe to assume that you are, at a minimum, living and breathing as you read this.
Back to Oprah and that story she says we all have. What do you think? I think we do. Sometimes it can easily get buried under the mundane and sometimes it lives amidst fireworks blazing through the sky. But, it's there. Do you see it?
I didn't, for a long time. But, I'm beginning to. I know I have a gasping tale to tell in regards to the near fatal car accident I was in fifteen years ago. But, that's not really my story, just a tale woven within it; one, that altered my story, but does not comprise it in its entirety.
Your story starts from the day you are born. Each event, each simple day, every soul you encounter shapes the next curve, bump, plateau, or hill you journey through. Mere moments effect the kind of glasses you see your world through.
This journey, this adventure, this life, your life is a story; it's your story. Do you document it? Do you write it down? Do you scrapbook it? Capture it on fabric, through the stitches of a quilt? Color it through the pages of an art journal? Snap both the precious and simple snippets of time with your camera?
If you aren't documenting your own story, who will?
Remember the childhood game of Telephone? When the first person whispered 'something' in the ear next to them and as it was passed down the line through all the others, it became altered by each person passing it on. And when the last person repeated that 'something' aloud, it was almost always different than what the first person had originally said. It's the same thing with your personal tale, filled with thousands of 'somethings'.
Your tale is unique. You have something wonderful to share, that only you can. If others are left to tell of your journey, it can only include the Who, What, Where, and When. Sure, it can infer the Why, but you can offer so much more to that story, to your story.
So, write it down, blog it, scrapbook it, stitch it to textiles, paint it, journal it, capture it with a click, click, click. It's your tale to tell.
And do it soon, do it often, do it before those zombies attack!
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I personally purchased Cleopatra: A Life for my library. The book links are affiliate links.
Oprah says we all have a story. And since you're here, living and breathing... You are living, right? You are breathing, right? I haven't heard of any recent zombie attacks, so I think it's safe to assume that you are, at a minimum, living and breathing as you read this.
Back to Oprah and that story she says we all have. What do you think? I think we do. Sometimes it can easily get buried under the mundane and sometimes it lives amidst fireworks blazing through the sky. But, it's there. Do you see it?
I didn't, for a long time. But, I'm beginning to. I know I have a gasping tale to tell in regards to the near fatal car accident I was in fifteen years ago. But, that's not really my story, just a tale woven within it; one, that altered my story, but does not comprise it in its entirety.
Your story starts from the day you are born. Each event, each simple day, every soul you encounter shapes the next curve, bump, plateau, or hill you journey through. Mere moments effect the kind of glasses you see your world through.
This journey, this adventure, this life, your life is a story; it's your story. Do you document it? Do you write it down? Do you scrapbook it? Capture it on fabric, through the stitches of a quilt? Color it through the pages of an art journal? Snap both the precious and simple snippets of time with your camera?
If you aren't documenting your own story, who will?
Remember the childhood game of Telephone? When the first person whispered 'something' in the ear next to them and as it was passed down the line through all the others, it became altered by each person passing it on. And when the last person repeated that 'something' aloud, it was almost always different than what the first person had originally said. It's the same thing with your personal tale, filled with thousands of 'somethings'.
Your tale is unique. You have something wonderful to share, that only you can. If others are left to tell of your journey, it can only include the Who, What, Where, and When. Sure, it can infer the Why, but you can offer so much more to that story, to your story.
So, write it down, blog it, scrapbook it, stitch it to textiles, paint it, journal it, capture it with a click, click, click. It's your tale to tell.
And do it soon, do it often, do it before those zombies attack!
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I personally purchased Cleopatra: A Life for my library. The book links are affiliate links.
I love that my blog helps me to remember.
ReplyDeleteI commented earlier but I don't think it went through. Great post though. I love the idea of writing down our family story. I have journals for my kids but I've been really lax about writing in them lately. Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteTrish @ Wordbitches
We are doing The Story of the World - it shows the kids history but told as a story - it really is awesome and discusses how your life is a story, as was your Mom and her Mom etc.
ReplyDeleteTrying to keep my kids writing in their blogs is my way of them having a journal too.
I love that my blog helps me to tell my story. I also journal, although not as much as I used to. This is quite the encouragement to keep journaling. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great reminder! I remember starting my first journal in middle school. Now I've moved onto morning pages and my blogs. The medium is different but it's still me telling my story.
ReplyDeleteYou are so inspirational, Kare! Your writing ALWAYS moves me. Thanks for this lovely reminder. You're friendship and creative inspiration is a true gift! xoxo!
ReplyDeleteYour point is well taken. I felt that Cleopatra never really came into focus in Schiff's book, maybe because she never writes about her own life. By contrast, many of the Romans in the story, were writers and told their own stories and consequently came alive for me. Cicero in particular jumped off the page -- maybe because he so often told us how he felt about something in his own words.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right! And that is one of the many reasons why I blog, to leave behind a history of what my life was like.
ReplyDeleteI tend to tell my children's life story though sadly not my own. I guess that is why blogging holds such appeal for me as well - it's a chance to get a small part of my story told bit by bit. Great post.
ReplyDeleteYou make a very good point. As a mom I spend a lot of time documenting the story of my kid's childhood. But I forget to document my own story. Nice reminder :-)
ReplyDeleteI loved this! So inspiring! And so appropriate for some of the things I've been going through lately.
ReplyDeleteOh how I love this post! Little chills are always a good sign with me. Such beautiful writing as always. I am definitely "telling my story" as the years go by, through my art and journaling, etc. It's a wonderful thing.
ReplyDeleteHope you're having a wonderful week.
Cheers,
Holly
Love it. I need to read the book for sure, but I have to tell you this is the main reason I continue with my blog. I'm a writer by passion, so I'm not sure I could stop if I tried, but at least it also gives me a chance to tell my story. Who knows, maybe someday, someone else will want to read it. Thank you for sharing this!!
ReplyDeleteSo beautifully written and so true. I forget to do this and then remember...so my story at least as it is written will be a little off kilter, but at least there is something. What I would give to have anything like this from my older relatives.
ReplyDeleteFantastic writing. We do all have a story. That's why I blog; to make my own little mark to say "I was here. This is my story."
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post. My blog is a way of keeping notes of my family's story.
ReplyDeleteI love the telephone analogy. It's so true!
ReplyDeleteI was really inspired by your words, to make sure I do leave little journaled bits more often about my life and my children's lives with me. And I loved your last line!
ReplyDeleteGreat message. It's easy to forget that we do all have a story. I sometimes see people working on their memoirs and think, "wow! I wish I had a exciting life to write about." Then I realize that I probably do. It may not sound exciting to me...because I'm living it. But it is.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder. Great post!
I really enjoyed this post and I am going to have to read that book.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid how my story would turn out if it was done by the telephone game.
Oh, how very true! One of my treasures is a packet of letters my uncle sent me about his childhood. He told me the story himself, and of course it is a slightly different story than the one told by my Dad (his big brother). All those pieces together make a charming whole. I want my children to someday know me as more than just their mom, and I can do that through writing.
ReplyDeleteThis is a wake-up call. Thanks for your perspective! I wonder how my story will be told and what will be remembered about me. Will it be the details of my childhood, or something that I am yet to do in my life. Will it be tragedy, or something amazing that is remembered. But thank you for reminding us that we have a part in what is remembered. In what we put down on paper, in our creativity, give to the world every day. Great perspective!
ReplyDelete