Saturday, December 18, 2010

My Memoirs: And I’m Not Even Dead Yet

My Memoirs: And I’m Not Even Dead Yet

Introduction

This is all rather sudden, I know.

I was recently doing some Christmas shopping at Chapters in London, Ontario, and came across a new book by Bill Bryson entitled ‘The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid - A Memoir.’

I was stunned.

I thought, Bryson’s dead? He’s not older than me, is he?

Then I corrected myself. He wasn’t older than me, was he?


["Ready for adventure": GH circa 1950]

I picked up the book from the Bargain Shelf. It was greatly reduced in price. $9.99. Excellent.

I thumbed through it and saw a picture of Bill as a child. Cute kid. So was I once. I read a few lines and realized Bill was the author and had written his own memoirs before he died, which is - or was - probably the right time.

Then I thought, maybe he’s not dead. Maybe he just wanted to get things down on paper before he forgot. None of us is getting any younger. I know I’m not.

I returned the book to the shelf because I figured it would likely be a couple of bucks cheaper after Christmas.

And when I got home later that day I decided to start writing my own memoirs, but call the book by a different name.

I think the title, ‘My Memoirs: And I’m Not Even Dead Yet’ is an honest assessment of where I am with my life at present and am hoping this new writing project will inspire me to reflect on all of my life's interesting adventures, even travel a bit more than usual, maybe even write a book about that, too.

Bill Bryson writes (or, wrote) a lot of great books about his adventures. Why can’t I?

And so it begins.

GH

***

GH will honestly attempt to add to his memoirs on a weekly or twice-weekly basis.

However, adventures may cut into his writing time.

He’s off!

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