A Voyage of Rediscovery: A Guide to Writing Your Life Story. - book reviews

Age and Ageing, July, 1994 by James Williamson

The Rhubarb People: Eric Midwinter's Voyage of Discovery 32 pp. Price [pound]4.50.

A Voyage of Rediscovery: A Guide to Writing your Life Story 28 pp. Price [pound]4.50.

Encore: A Guide to Planning a Celebration of Your Life 10 pp. Price [pound]2.50

Lifelines Series. By Eric Midwinter.

London: Third Age Press, 1993.

This tastefully produced trilogy of little books forms the first in the Lifelines series from Third Age Press and is intended to stimulate reflection upon the life tht has passed and a gaze into the future. It was a clever move to start the series from the pen of Professor Midwinter who will be known to many as a recently retired Director of the Centre for Policy on Ageing.

To form a coherent series I prefer to take A Voyage of Rediscovery first as it indicates in considerable detail how to set about writing one's 'personal history'. I do not know how many individuals on or near retirement have contemplated a 'life', but it must be a large number. Most will be put off by sloth or ennui but a considerable number must be inhibited mainly by not knowing how to set about it. No more! Here Professor Midwinter lays down the basic ground rules clearly and entertainingly.

He advances good reasons for self-history writing:

(1) It may do you good; reminiscence of this sort may often be therapeutic in the same way as reminiscence therapy may stimulate old people to interest and activity and be a part of 'reality orientation'

(2) It may help others to understand; what is accepted as an age effect may really be a generation effect, e.g. intolerance of long hair or sloppy attire has little to do with old age but everything to do with the norms of early 20th century life. Present-day old people have lived through much more dramatic changes in social and family life than ever before. They have some responsibility to record their life histories and experiences.

(3) It may benefit the family; it is commonplace to hear old people lament that the young are not interested in their anecdotes, they are boring; but given time this changes and the same sceptics may say when it is too late 'I wish I had written it all down' (or made a tape).

(4) It might cheer you up--Midwinter says this is the most important motive 'this autobiographical journey is just for the hell of it'.

Then follow practical hints on how to do it. One technique (which is also my own) is the Broad Sweep where everything remembered is recorded and becomes a sort of quarry from which one can take what one wishes to provide a history. A preliminary synopsis is essential.

He then lists a series of 'triggers' or significant life events, such as first day at school, first romance (and thirteen other significant events) which may form the skeleton upon which the body is assembled. Then come 'Portmanteau Memories'--one Christmas, or day when aged 7 or 8, etc. He wishes to encourage the use of cameos--the powerful influence of certain people or certain forms of entertainment; examples abound.

He encourages us to 'walk with history'--what were you doing the day war was declared or when J. F. Kennedy was assassinated? Local or national events should be included. He suggests that the history may be regarded as a retrospective diary. He concludes with useful, if quite stringent, advice on how to go about it. Written or taped? Never allow 'the Blank Page', i.e. never sit down to the task until you have at least one thing to record--others will flow therefrom.

I would place The Rhubarb People second in this series and it is a simple but delightful memory of Midwinter's youth and early adulthood in Manchester, with a rich portraiture of his most memorable relatives. Here he is putting into effect his lesson from Voyage above.

The final volume, A Celebration of Your Life is concerned with how to take your farewell when the time comes to die. Once again it is clearly and sensitively written, with much practical advice. People worry about what sort of celebration there should be after their death and many must simply shrug and say 'you'd better speak to the minister', despite a notable absence of religious commitment or churchgoing activities.

'All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players'. If Shakespeare is right (and he surely is) then 'everyone deserves an encore'!

I greatly enjoyed these little books and will treasure them; I may even start my 'Broad Sweep' quite soon. For the thoughtful middle-aged (and the even more thoughtful younger person) this is a good series to read. For the retired of any age it could be therapeutic.