The Responsiblity of Memory

Preface: Visits to the doctor are always stressful and only more so with age. There are so many test results to wade through and so many concerns to parse. The bottom line in my case is, as my physician puts it, is that I have "good genes!" So I guess, God willing, I'll be around for a while, maybe a very long while indeed.

What I think about, when I think about aging and what you might call the "third act" of a life, is the responsibilities that come with a long life.

When you span eras you begin to assume a custodian role in your family and community and perhaps for society at large over the shared history that fewer and fewer of your colleagues are still around to discuss.

Your memory becomes critical, but so does your character.

It becomes ever more essential to be honest. You may be the last one standing to tell the story of someone else. That person may no longer be here to tell their own tale.

This is the constant responsibility of a journalist, of course, or any writer. If you hold the reputation of another in your hands, how do you manage that responsibility?

I've struggled with these questions for years, and for the most part turned away from the kind of journalism that required me to play God years back. I much prefer the memoir function, which I continue to experiment with here at Hotweir, trying to perfect the craft before publishing similar work offline.

But this work too will only be as good as the quality of my character, as an honest writer. That truly is humbling.

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