When we entered 2020, I thought, Wouldn’t it be great if the year 2020 would translate into 20/20 vision about our lives, making our callings clear?
I imagined mine would have to do with writing a second book, one I’ve been piecing together in my mind for years.
Instead we experienced the Great Toilet Paper Scramble. And the Quest for Flour, Yeast and Beans. Then the University of Remote Learning. Our family’s surprise Farewell to Washington and Journey to Minnesota.
Now here we are post-Thanksgiving, thankful just to be.
Of course none of us envisioned what 2020 brought. But its strangeness did bring some things into focus for me: I recognized my deep passion for helping others tell their stories.
I hadn’t defined it that way before, but it’s what I’ve spent most of my career doing — working in public relations and journalism. Even some of my volunteer work has focused on storytelling. (Here’s the result of one private collaboration.)
Through the years, many people have told me that they (or their loved ones) should write a book. They have stories to share, but they don’t know where to begin. Or they will write them “someday.” (Right?)
I get it. What I know is that every single person has a story (or a hundred) that should be shared. What I also know is that sharing a story doesn’t need to be as daunting as it might seem. The process doesn’t need to take years. The result doesn’t have to be long. Some of the most powerful stories are as short as a blog post. Some can be told in a paragraph.
So I’m responding to my bit of 20/20 inspiration: I’ve begun offering classes online as well as creating opportunities for one-on-one collaborations.
If this catches your interest, I invite you visit my brand-new Memoir Moment webpage. Let me know if I might be able to help you or a loved one write a piece of your story. (It might even make a fun Christmas gift!)
Your story matters.
Sarah Coomber 