As I Recall

I was looking at a list of best selling books recently and one book in particular caught my eye.  It was a memoir.  You know, a chronological account as the author remembers (or better, interprets) the facts of their life.  The unique thing about this specific memoir was that someone under the age of 25 wrote it.

I got to thinking, as usually is the case when I encounter something of such a highly perplexing manner.  What in the world could a 25-year-old find in their relatively short life span to fill an autobiographical 287-page, $29.99 hardback book?  I reflected on my first 25 years to see what, if anything, was worthy of note - much less putting in a book that folks would purchase, ponder and discuss over a martini at their local establishment (I am going for the full affect).

After several days (and sleepless nights) of searching for tasty tidbits, I came up with exactly three life experiences that I thought might have potential.  Of course, I would have to exaggerate the circumstances and embellish the climax a wee bit, but I was pleased with the fact that I had a history that would fill at least one page.  Undeterred, and this may be wishful thinking, but I believe the years past the first 25 (which add up to almost another 25) have been a heck of a lot more captivating, exciting and laudable… and could easily be turned into a solid 5 pages (double spaced) of totally titillating, mouth-watering prose.

Back to the point!  FOCUS!  Maybe this person is writing their story in installments - the miniseries of their existence.  Famous people want to show their lives a bit more dramatically and a lot more publicly than ordinary, run-of-the-mill citizens.  But the fact that people want to share their accomplishment of being potty-trained at 9 months and that they were singing ballads at 2 years old, and were able to recite the Gettysburg address at the age of 5, is just downright showing off and unnerving to the rest of us normal folks.  My mom kept a “baby-book” for me, highlighting such achievements as the first hair cut I gave to myself, applying mud makeup to my brother, putting nail polish on my dogs toe nails and dancing naked in rain puddles – not saying that my rainfall rumba experience hasn’t served me well – but, it isn’t exactly stuff bestselling literature is made of.

I am hopeful that this “star” has a long, healthy go of it and in another 25 years will put out a real bestseller… more power to them if names, numbers and all of the juicy details can be remembered correctly and in order.  And, as human nature will have, we will be interested in the minutest facts and hustle to purchase the latest installment to add thrill and drama into our own mundane, everyday existence (and thank the moon above that we have the lives we have).

Heck, if I could remember what I ate for breakfast yesterday I might think of getting started writing a memoir myself.  It would be set on an exotic island. Romance and intrigue would be interwoven, with unusual twists and turns and surprising results… just in the manner I have lived my life… well, at least my version of the way I recall the story.

Cynthia A. McClelland, curious observer of the obvious with interpretations of the oddities of daily life.  Mother, wife and lover of the furry, resides in the north Lake Tahoe area.                      

Cynthia A. McClelland © 2003-