Not Another Autobiography, Please.

PS: She doesn't start singing until 2 mins 22 seconds!

Well actually I always intended writing my autobiography for my grandchildren. For an ordinary person some amazing things have happened. I won't inflict it on friends though. In fact I'd be embarrassed to do so. My daughter keeps telling me to get on with it before it's too late.

Writing can be therapeutic but not everyone has a book in them that the public at large want to read. I recommend writing something for your family. My DDs greatly enjoy my jottings about my childhood (everything from schooling to fashions, hobbies, heart-throbs and holidays). They also love reading my memories of themselves as babies and young children. Mainly, they are struck by the innocence and naivity of the person I was in my teens and early married life! They each have a copy of these memories illustrated with photos and copies of some of their early artwork, schoolwork, letters etc. Plus some information on earlier generations of the family.

Chestnut

CaravanSerai

No Chestnut. It's the title of a 1972 album by Santana - a band whose music I loved in my teenage years and still listen to 50 years later.

Oh wow. It's also a very romantic and beautiful song on Loreena McKennitt's album An Ancient Muse. Only discovered her a few years ago but I love her songs and have bought a few albums.
Caravanserai

That is beautiful and interesting. I love the Celtic - Middle Eastern fusion. Also, there was something about the driving rhythm which reminded me of Joe Bonamassa, one of my favourite blues guitarists who I've seen play live several times. I googled the two names and found that his drummer Tal Bergman has played for both. If you have sleeeve notes would you mind checking to see if either name appears? Thanks.

I am a writer and so are most of my friends. The problem is that they have book launches and the etiquette/expectation is that invitees will buy a book. Gets expensive and they take up space!

Coco51

It is the reminiscences of ordinary people that give the greatest historical value to future generations

... that's a gem of an observation.

Having managed to trace my family tree way back to the times of legends, obviously at that stage nothing is certain, I self published our family history, but only one for each of my children and one each for my sister and brother. I would never have expected anyone else to buy or even want one from me.

CaravanSerai

Chestnut

CaravanSerai

No Chestnut. It's the title of a 1972 album by Santana - a band whose music I loved in my teenage years and still listen to 50 years later.

Oh wow. It's also a very romantic and beautiful song on Loreena McKennitt's album An Ancient Muse. Only discovered her a few years ago but I love her songs and have bought a few albums.
Caravanserai

That is beautiful and interesting. I love the Celtic - Middle Eastern fusion. Also, there was something about the driving rhythm which reminded me of Joe Bonamassa, one of my favourite blues guitarists who I've seen play live several times. I googled the two names and found that his drummer Tal Bergman has played for both. If you have sleeeve notes would you mind checking to see if either name appears? Thanks.

There are an awful lot of musicians listed. Tal Bergman is listed on drums but not Joe. There is a huge amount of information about the tracks, their words, and their origins! It's all pretty amazing, her tracks are all works of musical art.

Maywalk- we live in the grounds of an old House of Mercy, I wish we knew more about ours...

I think for many the writing of such a book is a real boost for them. You don't have to read them in their entirety but please be kind. Those who've written them have put their innermost thoughts on the line.

I would never be unkind to my friends and, as I said in my original post, I realise how cathartic writing things down can be. I like the idea of writing memoirs for family and diaries have been kept for centuries. I am very interested in social history and, of course, it is the stories of ordinary people that are the backbone of this. However, if my friends were content to leave it at this it would be great. Unfortunately, they seem to have ideas that they have written the next bestseller.

Treetops05

Maywalk- we live in the grounds of an old House of Mercy, I wish we knew more about ours...

I only know the one I was in was situated down south but where I have no idea Treetops 05.
An austere building with long corridors that were scrubbed by the children each day.
This is a quotation from the book I wrote.
( I can remember from the age of four having to scrub a floor, which I could not see properly because I had a patch over my good eye. I was trying to see through one that was nearly blind and I was beaten across the back with a broom handle because I had missed some water that I had not wiped up. Or being rapped across the head or whatever part of the body was closest to hand for no apparent reason.)

Maywalk....So glad you posted details of your book because l was going to ask you for it so l could get a copy. I see you have written several.

Maywalk

Treetops05

Maywalk- we live in the grounds of an old House of Mercy, I wish we knew more about ours...

I only know the one I was in was situated down south but where I have no idea Treetops 05.
An austere building with long corridors that were scrubbed by the children each day.
This is a quotation from the book I wrote.
( I can remember from the age of four having to scrub a floor, which I could not see properly because I had a patch over my good eye. I was trying to see through one that was nearly blind and I was beaten across the back with a broom handle because I had missed some water that I had not wiped up. Or being rapped across the head or whatever part of the body was closest to hand for no apparent reason.)

I wonder why some people did that to children.

I have had some horrible experiences in life, like many. I have said to my husband 'Should I write them down?'. He says 'No one is interested. Everyone has their problems. You are not unique'.

Aw! I think that's lovely! I would be so proud.

I've written a book about a particular part of local history. I diid it because it's an area almost completely forgotten about and one I think is very important. I published through kindle (with a little help from my DSs). Cost me nothing. I wouldn't expect my friends to buy one (although some have and say they are surprised at what they read). It's available on Amazon and I sell when I give talks and at local history events. I hope no one feels pressurised to buy.

Thanks to the OP for this thread, so interesting and inspires
me to write down my family history for my children.
As they have been brought up in France they missed out on
alot of local history for the immediate family, I've felt guilty
about that for a while.

Kate1949

I have had some horrible experiences in life, like many. I have said to my husband 'Should I write them down?'. He says 'No one is interested. Everyone has their problems. You are not unique'.

The thing is you are not unique in having such problems.

Perpetrators try to convince their victims that they are unique and that what is dished out to them is their fault.

So the victim feels as if it must be their fault and feels guilty and it affects them.

Knowing that things happened to others, far away, maybe before they were born, can help release that feeling of guilt.

It is very easy to believe that if two different peole separately bully the victim, then it is the victim's fault.

But it is not.

People in authority considering such a situation often make the fundamental mistake of thinking that a person being the victim of two different people must be doing something to deserve it. But those in authority are just people who were once new born babies born at an earlier time.

It is just that bullying seems to be a widespread phenomenon.

People try to explain it, but can one really understand something so different from one's own way of behaving?

Yes StarDreamer. My post says I am not unique.

Just to add, I don't feel guilty. I know it's not my fault. I just feel damaged.

‘Housewife ,49’ was brilliant. Highly recommended, if anyone hasn’t seen it.

Kate1949

Just to add, I don't feel guilty. I know it's not my fault. I just feel damaged.

Yes.

My SiL has written her autobiography and we were given a copy. Haven't read it yet but will - I'll be interested to read what she has written about our falling out that lasted many years but is now healed!