Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

The pharaohs in ancient Egypt went to extra ordinary lengths to create pyramids as their tombs marking their lives, rule, and wanted to be remembered for all times. Even lesser officials spent serious money to be carefully embalmed and entombed. When I am driving by a cemetery, I can’t help but notice there are some gigantic tombstones and some stones that are barely noticeable.

My next-door neighbor, whom I had been friend with for almost 20 years, refused to even have a religious service. He instructed an only daughter to sell everything and cremate him and be finished. As far as I know he was a Christian, he attended church regularly while he was able. However, when he became ill in his last years he lived in a nursing home. He seemed depressed and to best I could tell wasn’t interested in anything.

I remember there was a character in the movie “Fried Green Tomatoes” who told her young friend she was afraid that when she died, there would only be a shoe box of memories; a prefect attendance Sunday School pen, a grade school report card, and a few other momentous and that would be all there was to mark her entire existence. While she felt intimidated by this likelihood, she was probably correct in her assumptions.

Well, fess up, are you of sufficient age to have had some of these thoughts? You are not required to hold up your hand or tell anyone about your concerns or feelings. Let me tell you what I am doing about it. I must confess I am closer to the end than most of you. You have probably noticed that I have written and posted a lot of stories. Why? Well for one reason it has kept me entertained during our quarantine this past 11 months. I enjoy delving into my past lifetime. But this is all part of my plan, to remain living in my stories, which can live on!

Do you realize that the true meaning of one’s life is not what one’s gained, or gotten, but in what you’ve given, like educating and preparing your children to be genuinely good, solid citizens, to help others in your community, to those who can never repay you but who will be eternally grateful for the loving kindness and willingness you have shown? Everyone’s lives will be weighed in a scale of what they have given, not what they have gotten!

Next, you may not have known it, but I have published two books of my stories, and some of you have been so kind to buy them. Do you realize that having books out all over the country with my name on the cover, and my stories and ideas on every page, is a form of keeping me, my thoughts, and my life alive? No, they are not a pyramid and there is no reason to expect they will survive as long either, but they will preserve the livings’ memory of me for some period after I am gone.

So, if you were to record your stories and experiences, there are publishers who, like Lulu Publishing that will print even one copy for you! You may object and say you cannot use a computer, or you don’t feel like you can even write down your stories on a legal pad.

Well, here is another solution for you. Did you know you can go to Amazon and purchase a digital recorder for between $17.00 and $24.00? I write this to simply say there is no excuse for you to avoid recording your own stories other than you just refuse to do it. Go ahead and cheat your children and grand children out of knowing you and how real you were.

No, I am not trying to build a pyramid or nor am I expecting you to build one. My book writing came about because of one simple fact. I only had one grandparent I ever got to know. All the others had passed. I felt cheated because I was unable to talk to them, to ask questions about their lives as young kids, as teenagers and such. So, I did not want my grandchildren to be left with the same feeling and set about to write stories of my life, much like I would have told them stories if they had asked me while living.

I suppose it was in the late 1980’s when I was beginning as a stock broker with Merrill Lynch, I was cold calling. I had previously called and struck up a friendly conversation with an elderly gentleman. I had promised to call back in about two weeks. In this second call, I reached a younger male relative. When I asked for Mr. Smith, I was told, “The old bastard died!” I was shocked and the irreverence and lack of respect. I am sure no one wants this kind of legacy.

I suspect there are several out there who have thought about it but then also thought “well, I can’t write!” but you can get your words on paper, your computer will do most of the correcting.
Short of that, record your stories on a digital voice recorder! Your children, grandchildren who are computer savvy and can finish the project and get your stories printed.

Who knows, in the future there may not be any more books, everything may be electronically recorded in some form. Think of the fun to hear the actual voice of your great, great, grandfather telling you stories? It doesn’t seem possible that anyone’s life stories will be recorded on a stone at anyone’s grave site. Do you want your life to be just a few trinkets in a shoebox? I have spent a lot of effort, time and money to see that I am not! I am willing to help you do it much cheaper. Just Sayin..RJS

Danger25 Loc: Philly/ Cape may New Jersey

Great stuff Mr Samples....and heres hoping “the end “ you speak of is much farther off than you think.

mmadoc Loc: santa rosa,CA

nicely written :)

Able Man Loc: North Coast (Cleveland, Ohio)

I had written down alot of "bits and pieces" of "life's experiences", while communicating with "my First Love", via email; several years back. I'm thinking that I'll make a point of looking for those (I printed them out, before the computer became "played-out".)
Either way ya slice it though, I'm "in the market for" a reasonably priced laptop, with enough of what it needs, before attempting to actually create anything much. (NOT a job to be tackling with AN OBAMAPHONE!!)

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

You are on the right track, just don’t wait too long before you consolidate all you are working on. Just Sayin RJS

Mauwehu Loc: Norwalk Ct

Great advice RJ. I’ve been thinking about leaving a legacy book for my granddaughters. It really is about making a difference in someone’s life maybe even generationally.
We recently became the owners of some old family photos. Some of the photos had names on the back as to who they were. This was helpful. The unnamed people will be forever lost. There’s no reason to keep their photos. The larger the monument the more important the person? As for the pharaohs the pyramids were just a place for them and their stuff. Didn’t they believe they would be taking it with them??

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

Mauwehu: Don't throw the old unidentified photos away. You might just have an unknown, or unexpected relative show up and who might be able to identify some, or all of those people. It's possible! I have some myself. Yes, i think the pharaohs did believe that all their stuff would go with them. My wife and I went to New Orleans when the young pharaoh King Tut's exhibit was there. So later, I had my Pepperdine U's MBA ring to have a lapis Lazula stone. Just Sayin...RJS

Mauwehu Loc: Norwalk Ct

I saw King Tuts exhibit in NYC. I was blown away by the workmanship and creativity in the items. I remember a chest with a dovetailed drawer in it. I had always thought that the dovetail joint was 16 th century England.
I will keep the photos.
I bought an old photo at a garage sale once because I thought it looked like a friend of mine. I gave it to him and his wife and she agreed with me. He framed it and put it on his mantle. His mom came by, saw the photo and asked him where he had dressed up in antique clothes and had the picture taken. Spitting image.

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

Life has a strange way of riming, and one never knows what may pop up.. I have been trying to fkind any relatives of the Darnell's which was my grandmother's family on my father's side. No one seemed to know, but finally on Facebook I did find a young guy who wasn't terribly cooperative, but he did say that while his family lived in North Texas, one of his relatives drowned in Red River! Well, I had heard of this from my dad, but thought it was on the Samples side, not the Darnell side. You just never know when a clue will pop up. Just sayin....RJS

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

This of similar happened in my family! In my first book there is. Pic of me and my sister when I was maybe 12 to 14. When my granddaughter saw it she said that my grandson who is now around 16 and I looked just alike ! Just Sayin RJS

plumbob Loc: New Windsor Maryland

Good Morning RJS. Good thread as always and in a way we are on the same page. I may have summed up your thread with my thread this morning. 2/28/2021 Thought for Today.

Kerry Hansen Loc: Bremerton, WA

Bob, Thanks for that. I started documenting it for my kids maybe 5 or so years ago starting during WW2, but got sidetracked. Lately found my quick recall diminished a little, so I need to resume right away. i also have ordered a small recorder.

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

Kerry: I was taught a recall trick by a master storyteller at a convention a couple years ago. it will do wonders for you in extracting stories from your older relaltives, and with some patience from your own memories. Just Sayin...RJS

Kerry Hansen Loc: Bremerton, WA

I DON'T HAVE ANYMORE OLDER RELATIVES.

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

Kerry, Dude: you have yourself! This will work on you, because it has worked on me. How do you think I've managed to post on Stages over 500 stores? They would not be there without concentration and focus. I wil look back and try to find where i posted this golden idea.

So, for that idea go to SEARCH, then when a open space opens for what you are seeking, type in "A million $ Gift in Telling Stories. I have offered a great and proven tool to memory recall. It worked on me, it will work on you! Just Sayin...RJS