autobiographies

The first autobiography I was encouraged/required to write came from a third-grade (age 8) assignment to write on the topic of, “How I Spent My Summer Vacation.”  My granddad’s workshop creation experiences featured prominently in this. May I just mention the self-built, self-propelled lawnmower AND the self-built small tractor that hauled my sister and me around in a wagon, AND the medium tractor with shovel blade that accommodated my sister and me in raising us 15 feet into the air!

The second came from a Wood Badge Scouting Leadership Training Programme (age 31) assignment to write on the topic of, “My Life And Key Themes To Date” (I paraphrase). My camp counselor teaching and physics/engineering college experiences featured prominently in this. May I just mention my research AND teaching stipends AND meeting my wife-to-be!

The third came from a Wisdom Course (age 41) assignment to write on the topic of, “Key Experiences And People I Have Encountered Each Year Of My Life To Date” (paraphrase). My corporate work and ontological training experiences featured prominently in this. May I just mention getting a high-paying corporate job AND beginning to learn and apply the principles of parenting, self-actualization and entrepreneurship.

If you’ve read Don Juan/Carlos Castaneda books you may be familiar with the idea of “recapitulation” and “erasing personal history.” Other “life hack” gurus have likewise recommended keeping personal journals and/or autobiographies to track and/or alter life directions.

All in all I agree. However… I am currently seriously out of date, having not updated my autobiographical life track since approximately *mumble mumble* (age 41). I’ve, since then, variously: had a second child, been made redundant from a traditional corporate career, started (and completed) a new-age online career, then (for all intents and purposes) retired from all above-said careers (looking for something new), and begun a new life of “cluelessly exploring as a late boomer dragged kicking and screaming into the century of the fruit bat.”

Clueless… I like that lol