Sit the Hell Down and Write!

Last night, during the Patti Digh thing, she said something... I can't remember why she said it or if she was quoting someone. But she said... and I paraphrase... "If you want to write, sit the hell down and write!"

Well! That is just pretty clear, right?

This morning, as I was driving, I was listening to Karen Tate. I had listened last night, but it was live and there were some interruptions, so I was listening again. While she was talking, the faces of my grandmothers flashed through my brain. Recently, I discovered some amazing treasures, and among them were pictures of my family from 40+ years ago.

My mind's eye focused particularly on one picture. It is a picture of Grandma Violet (my great grandmother) and Granny Vines (my great great grandmother) and I am the wiggly one year old in my great grandmother's arms. I did not have this picture with me, but I could see it clearly. And what really struck me was Granny Vines. She just seems so sad. Resolved. I've tried to do the math. She must be around 70 in this picture. And I wondered, what was her life like during this time? What had her life been before? What had happened to her that she was now this little, old woman, living with her daughter, widowed, and on the verge of dementia.

I have only a few memories of her. I just remember her as a crazy lady who couldn't really talk and I remember being very afraid of her.

As I was driving and thinking about all my foremothers, I felt very strongly that I don't want my kids and their kids to remember me as a sad and frumpy old lady. I want to be full of life. "Full of piss and vinegar" as the saying goes. I want to do crazy things that they never forget. I want them to look at pictures of me and then I want them to tell their kids, "She was a wild woman! You will never believe what she started doing when she was 45!"

I want to leave a legacy. I want part of it to be written and documented with pictures, like a story book. I want their stories to be included in my story. Their pictures. Their words. Their memories. Because we are inextricably linked forever. And I want them to have something tangible to help them recall the memories. The other part will be the doing. To have memories, we have to create memories. I want to make that a priority. Above the seasonal job I have, above even my school, although it is very important to me and it will also be a part of our story. But my mind is fading. So I have to get started. And soon.

Are you documenting your life? I would love some pointers and maybe hear how you are doing things!