Memories of Childhood ...

	When I was a kid we would go to our cottage in Cape Breton every summer. About a mile into the woods behind the cottage was a cave. The cave was essentially just a deep crack into the bedrock. Over the winter snow and ice would accumulate in the crack. A bit of that snow and ice would always still be there late into August. Each summer we made the annual pilgrimage to the ice cave. Summers in Cape Breton are hot and humid. The forest is dense, dark, steamy hot, and full of mosquitoes. Although only a mile, the trek to the cave was difficult - mostly because of those damn mosquitoes! When we'd finally get there, we knew that sense of arrival Columbus must have felt when he laid eyes on his "new world". Descending into the cave took us out of the bug-infested sauna that was the forest - into an increasingly cool nether world. In less than sixty feet we went from dripping sweat to throwing snowballs. Incredible ... That childhood memory of mine I will always cherish. I think one of the greatest things about being "human" is that we have memories that are reasonably persistent throughout most of our life-spans. Our memories provide continuity between our past experiences and the current moment. You can never get too far away from your memories because everything you now experience is focused by lenses either scratched or polished by previous experiences. How you "see" things is unique because the sum total of your experiences is unique. It is a fundamental characteristic of being human. Memories themselves are filtered by subsequent experience - they aren't as objective as we sometimes believe them to be. Sharing our memories provides others a precious window to who we are - our individuality. Your memories are yours alone. Sharing them is one of the most generous things you can do. With this page I hope to encourage you to do just that - share your memories. You can create a website that is a collection of your memories put to words. I'm here to tell you that other people will interested. I believe we all crave stories. It is in our nature - it is instinctual. Throughout the majority of human history, people spent their evenings around campfires sharing their stories with each other. Survival depended on sharing experiences. Today sitting in front of the modern campfire, the TV, just doesn't satisfy our primeval need to communicate with one another. I believe the internet better recreates the traditional campfire. It is not a broadcast medium like television, rather it is a communication medium. Communicate your recollections of past experiences. I encourage you to create a website of your recollections. I know you'll find the effort very rewarding. It will help your loved ones to know you better. It will connect you with distant strangers who genuinely appreciate being reminded of things and feelings they have almost forgotten. I'm sorry but I must remind you of the inevitability that eventually you will forget much of what you have experienced. Your own written recollections will help your keep memories fresh longer. Once you are gone, your written words will provide your descendants with a important sense of connection to you and your life. I guarantee they will be interested - you share the same genes. When I try to think of reasons why you might have reluctance to pursue this idea I know some will say "but I'm not a writer". I'm not either. Don't sweat it - It really doesn't matter. Really. Don't let worries about poor spelling, grammar, or punctuation stop you. Make up your own rules! If you just can't get over it and are really concerned about presenting yourself well, write your stories and then have someone help you clean them up. If you don't know anyone you feel comfortable in approaching - go talk to the librarian at your public library. The librarian will be encouraging and, I have no doubt, will find someone who'll enjoy helping you. If you are interested in expert advice on writing your memoirs you can check out this book : Legacy : A Step-By-Step Guide to Writing Personal History by Linda Spence. Below is a quote from a reader's review at amazon.com :
		"As memoirs become increasingly popular reading material, so do individuals of the baby-boomer generation increasingly hunger for details about their own multigenerational family histories and the long-buried stories that, in accumulating, make up an essential heritage. Spence creates a compelling context for recording the stages of one's life. In each section, from childhood through grandparenting, Spence compiles a wealth of penetrating questions to help guide the novice and more skilled writer alike. An inward journey, it is meant to uncover intimate memories and experiences that shape the very foundation, walls and interior spaces of a personality. Quotes from authors associated with a style of mesmerizing and revelatory writing illustrate just how moving are the episodes and scenes that create the fabric of our everyday lives."
	In conclusion, I sincerely hope this page will encourage more memoirs to be shared on the web. If it has encouraged you please and let me know. I'd really like to read whatever you write or hear your ideas.
	PS. The memories you write about can be pleasant childhood experiences or painful memories. The point here is writing your memoirs to a website is a worthwhile pursuit.