Memoirs Today

In the early 1990s, memoirs written by ordinary people experienced a sudden upsurge, as an increasing number of people realized that their ancestors' and their own stories were about to disappear, in part as a result of the opportunities and distractions of technological advances. At the same time, psychology and other research began to show that familiarity with genealogy helps people find their place in the world and that life review helps people come to terms with their own past.

With the advent of inexpensive digital book production in the first decade of the 21st century, the genre exploded. Memoirs written as a way to pass down a personal legacy, rather than as a literary work of art or historical document, are emerging as a personal and family responsibility.

From Wikipedia

Stories, All Mine, Mostly True

by Mike Meier

With two book projects stalled, the obvious thing to do is start a third one. This is that book.

Over the years I have written stories from my life. Some were based on dreams, others on random imaginings I had while I was supposed to be getting real work done, a couple I had to research, and some of them actually happened.

Many of the stories in this book were written at 4 AM, which seems to be when I wake with too much going on in my head. Others were written bit by bit, over years, as more information became available.

All of the stories in this book are true in the sense that the events described actually happened either in real life, or in my head. Two of the stories in this book are about a family tragedy. I debated leaving them in this book for others to read. It was a family matter, after all, and I wrote them as a way to unravel what happened and to tell the story of my mother to my brothers who were too young to remember what happened. In the end I figured they might be the types of family stories that will speak to other people who have had similar experiences.

Finally, there is a story in this book that is about a very personal issue, and not a pleasant one. I initially wrote it, at 4 AM, to get the demons that were keeping me awake out of my head and onto the page where maybe they would become trapped. I wrote it over several years, revisiting the topic each time something relevant came up, be that a conversation, or news of this happening in real life. I considered leaving it out, or only letting a few trusted friends see this book. But, it has been a major issue in my life so leaving it out would have made this book, which is about me, incomplete. So, I left it in, exposing myself, but also hopefully it will speak to someone who has been haunted by these very same demons, and maybe it will help.

So there you have it, my stories, all mine, and mostly true.