"You Should Write a Book"

I talk a lot.  I tell stories about things I've done, places I've been, how my past experiences relate to the present.  I have so many memories I want to share.

I'll say, "when my son was a baby he would..." whatever.   I talk  about the places we have lived.  The cultures and how they relate to the way we live.   And, whoever I am talking to seems interested.  And they all say "you should write a book".

Do they really want me to write something, or is it just a tactic to get me to stop talking.

As kids, many if not all of my friends had to watch the slides that their dad (usually their dad) took.  "Oh kids, do you remember that funny looking tree".   We would pretend to pay attention and care.  The best part was being allowed to run the slide projector.

Home movies were more fun.  Watching ourselves run around, soundless, in three minutes bursts.   Occasionally the projector would be threaded wrong and there would be  fragile unrolled movie film all over the floor.  Or, the film would break.  And the dad would get out the splicing kit.  Splicing while everyone waits.

When we first went into the Foreign Service, suddenly, we wanted to see everyone's slides.   All of a sudden we are in that club that wants to know about where people had been and what they did.  And we loved their stories.

After we had been overseas,  we had the newer colleagues come and see our slides and hear our stories!

There is a special "family" among Foreign Service people.   We are truly interested.

And now, we are here.  Home.  Retired.  At least retired from the foreign service life.   Our parents are gone.  They were our best audience.  Our kids have lived the stories with us, or heard them too many times.

And so, when I catch a person who seems to be willing to listen, I talk.  Yes, I talk and talk.   And then I hear "you should really write a book".

Should I?   Maybe.   Meanwhile, I'll keep writing here from time to time.  Yes I will.