February 19, 2007 Issue-038 – Presidential Address

From Tom Gilbert – Editor and Writer, www.your-life-your-story.com

In this Issue:

Opening remarks: Time Keeps on Slipping
Featured Article: Presidential Address
Resources You Can Use: The iMemoryBook

Opening Remarks: Time Keeps on Slipping

Today is Presidents Day and I was reading up on it. I always thought the holiday was a combination celebration of the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln’s birthday is in February, but it turns out this is mainly a recognition of Washington’s Birthday. There’s more to it than that, and I don’t mean sales at the malls.

I hope you are all weathering the winter. We’ve had some more snow and it is now the second snowiest winter on record for Albuquerque. For those of you in the southern hemisphere don’t forget to tan evenly.

I appreciate the opportunity to present another ezine issue to you. You can always email me with questions and comments. I welcome the feedback.

You are receiving this e-zine because you signed up for it or someone who is subscribed passed it along to you. If a friend DID forward this to you consider subscribing by visiting our signup page . Also, let me know what you’d like to see more of in this newsletter – simply reply to this email e-zine.

While the main focus of this newsletter is to share thoughts, ideas, and insights on life story writing you should know that I offer various services and also mention some products and services that can be helpful. You are under no obligation to purchase anything, but if any of these products or services are helpful and you decide to utilize them then I am most grateful.

Thanks for reading. – Tom

Featured Article: Presidential Address

What’s a presidential address? No, not 1616 Pennsylvania Boulevard, although you’d be technically correct.

Of course, I’m thinking more along the lines of an official speech made by a president, specifically a President of the United States. Every year the current president addresses Congress and the country with a State of the Union address. It’s an opportunity for the elected leader of the United States to tell citizens (and the world) what this leader considers the important issues of the day are. And the president can then outline his administration’s plans for dealing with them.

Today, February 19, 2007, is Presidents Day, a federal holiday in the United States. This holiday is always on the third Monday in February and was created to specifically honor our very first President, George Washington. His actual birthday was February 22.

Washington is recognized as the founder of our country. If you remember your American history you know that he was the chief general for the Continental forces during the Revolutionary War against England. He was also an educated man and a dedicated farmer. And he lived through some trying times.

There are other former presidents of the United States that we recognize for their leadership and virtues. Abraham Lincoln quickly comes to mind. His birthday is also in February and it is common to remember him on Presidents Day. John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan are often held up to high regard. There are others who have held the office who may be mostly forgettable. We don’t hear much about Franklin Pierce or Chester A. Arthur.

I grew up in the seventies and graduated the year that Richard Nixon resigned from office. That was a big deal, scandalous even, although most of the crowd I ran with were not disappointed he left office. Gerald Ford, then the Vice-President, was appointed the next President. He had the distinction of holding both offices without being elected to them. He recently passed away and was praised for his humility and values. A lot of people were upset when he pardoned Nixon, but in hindsight it wasn’t bad to get that business behind us.

Next year is a presidential election year and already the candidates are “tossing their hats into the ring”. The current president, George W. Bush, does not have high approval ratings. And there are going to be some very difficult challenges facing our next president. Not the least among them the war in Iraq.

So what does all this have to do with your personal history? Well, we all live in segments of history and we need to view our lives through both the lens of what is personal and specific to our stories and in the context of what is happening in the world around us.

Address the issues in your life and live your story. You are the president of your one, wild life. That doesn’t mean everything will go your way. Nor should it! But “we the people” in your life are interested in your story. Only you can tell us what your true and personal “presidential address” to life is.

You can read other articles on life-story writing here.

Resources You Can Use

The iMemoryBook

The iMemoryBook is a great way to write your memoir, tribute books, personal histories – the possibilities are endless. It’s very affordable and easy to build your story online and then have it printed with a beautiful hard or soft cover and with the artwork you want.

I’ve personally used the iMemoryBook process to write a tribute book to my daughter. And I am currently working on a new book about my experience running a marathon to help raise funding to fight Leukemia, Lymphoma and other blood cancers.

I know how the process works. I’ve assisted others with their writing and developing their iMemoryBook. I can help you with yours, if you so desire. This is really a wonderful way to do your family or personal history project. You can write an autobiography, a biography of someone else, a company history, create a wedding or anniversary reminiscence, record your spiritual journey or write a tribute to a loved one who has died.

There are a couple of ways to do this. You can buy the main package for less than $200 and your story will be online forever as well as getting one hardcover book. Plus, you can affordably order additional books and because your story stays online (password protected so you can share it only with those you choose to) you can update it in the future. Or you can use the Heirloom package for just $49.95 that allows you to follow the same process. Plus, you get a $37 coupon towards the cost of your project that gives you a 25 page full-color or 150 page black and white hardbound book. For more information and to get started visit here

Closing Information

Any comments, ideas or feedback is greatly appreciated. Just reply to this ‘zine and tell me what you think!

Until next time, – keep your story alive!

Tom Gilbert