Making It Relevant

Writing a memoir is not the equivalent of a text or a tweet. Writing memoir is serious business. Not given to even having a Facebook account and barely grasping what Twitter and tweets are really about, I do, at least, understand them to be a short form of communication, if true communication is what they are really about.

However, if one is to genuinely make the commitment to communicating through memoir in this day and age of sound-bytes, there must be some intention of deep devotion. Otherwise, why bother with the long form when the short might suffice?

Especially as one’s readers are not going to take anywhere near the author’s time investment for writing in imbibing said product.

With these contemplations in mind, I got to thinking about my intentions for writing this story I have titled, Hot Pants, Motorcycles And K Street: In The Era Before Watergate, this past week, as well as my envisioned end point for the project.

There are, indeed, multiple agendas for the venture as well as a number of desired outcomes. Among them, of course, is the setting-the-record straight one. Along with that one goes the telling of my truth as best I know it and the leaving behind of some form of coherent legacy.

Then it occurred to me that there is, also, an intention to offer some sort of wisdom to readers, if, indeed, there are to be any or, hopefully, many. There is a yearning, of course, to want one’s life to have made some kind of sense to oneself as well as those left behind. A wish for the trials and tribulations to have accrued a few worthy lessons to pass on. These are woven into my agendas and the hoped for results of the undertaking.

A wish that the life journey one has traveled might be of some benefit to those who are to come after, to even offer a bit of hope to others in moments of challenge. These, too are present. My particular objectives, also, include a wish that some unknown others might ease the distress so many of us are feeling in these troubled times about our society and politics.

At the outside edge, for me, there is even a yearning that from what I have learned and share others might discover hints on how to be game changers in this crazy off balance world in which we are now living. I think I’d like that a lot; to be remembered as someone who had grown astute enough to know how to upset the applecart of the dark side and its malicious aspirations.

I own that I have that kind of mischievousness in me.

I hope the markers I am intent on leaving behind will inspire that in some, perhaps for the courageous, as I have been, or maybe the foolhardy which I also have been. Remember to always try to manage this track with fun, if you can.

The making relevant of this tome of mine, in progress, was energetically discussed by my honorary daughter, Terry, my long-time friend, Gloria Livingston, and myslf on my “Anastasia The Storyteller Radio Show” when I had just begun to write Hot Pants, Motorcycle and K Street last year.

I listened to the podcast today, again, to gain some perspective on the issue of making this book relevant. The podcast gave me some reminders of what we were considering about my book writing project, then, at its outset. And, I gained some insight from hearing the show again. 

You might also. You can hear that show, “Making It Relevant” with this link.

Your comments on the project are welcomed. I am intent on writing this book in a kind of “we” process though the main effort is mine.

Terry, in particular, helped me, then, to stay straight on the issue of how my stories can be made relevant. She has always done that for me. I invite you to contribute the same.