(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column of those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Augusta Press.)
For many years, friends and family members had encouraged me to write my memoir. They felt that I had experienced a series of events in my long life that would be of interest to others.
Three years ago, at age 84, I decided to take the plunge. It was a delightful experience from the get-go. After considering more than 50 possible titles, the decision was: Listen Up: Stories of Pearl Harbor, Vietnam, the Pentagon, CNN and Beyond.
Among the joys I experienced was my interaction with friends from long ago. The reactions to my phone calls was universally positive. Everyone I contacted seemed delighted that I called. They were willing to share their memories of past events that I raised with them. Even more importantly, they reminded me of stories I had long forgotten. If I had not decided to do the research, I might never had talked to most of them — an opportunity not to be lost.
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The second area of delight was my close interaction, for two years, with my wife, Connor, and my daughter, Serena. Every week or two, Connor, would use her red pen to edit a few pages of manuscript. Connor, a graduate of the University of Georgia with a major in English, had carefully edited my six previous books. Her great talent is helping turn a rough draft into polished English.
For me, one of the real surprises in this enterprise was the hundreds of helpful suggestions that I received from Serena. For many months, I talked to her on the phone almost every day. Also, she helped to maximize the value of Google photos and Google docs. I had had no previous experience with these excellent platforms.
A third area of joy was the reactions that Connor, Serena and I have received from those who have read the book. Here is one example from the amazon.com web site.
“We read “Listen Up” out loud over several nights in our family room and thoroughly enjoyed the stories of General Perry’s life journey. His recounting of the attack on Pearl Harbor is both emotionally wrenching and insightful. Great photos throughout. Highly recommended to those interested in reading about a firsthand account of what it means to be a lifelong leader.”
I suggest that all of you who have passed your 65th birthday write down your stories. You will make lots of people happy, including yourself. Publishing your stories in a book is not necessary — 20 or 30 pages would be a great start. Once you write them down, you may find there are more to tell.
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If you are not inclined to write down your stories, there is another option that works quite well. Sit in front of a camera and tell your stories. Augusta’s first-rate videographer, Mark Albertin, is an expert in asking questions that will help you remember and explain your experiences. He also has a talent with follow up questions. The result will be an edited disc or a thumb drive which you can hand down to kids, to grand kids and great-grand kids. Mark can be reached at scrapbookvideo2293@gmail.com.
By the way, signed copies of Listen Up are on sale at a discount at the Augusta Museum of History. The book can also be purchased from amazon.com. The Kindle version is priced at $4.95. All proceeds from the book sales go to the Dyess Symposium which, each year, honors Connor’s father, Marine Lieutenant Colonel Jimmie Dyess. Jimmie Dyess is the only person to be the recipient of America’s two highest awards for heroism, the Medal of Honor and the Carnegie Medal. He also was an Eagle Scout and a college marksman who received All American honors.
Perry Smith’s email address is genpsmith@aol.com. He welcomes comments on and criticisms of his articles and books.
