Friday, October 24, 2014

What I love about Memoirs.

I bought a copy of The Tender Bar by J.R. Moehringer on 20th September this year.


 I walked into Nakumatt supermarket at Mega Plaza here in Kisumu and when I came across it- I set it aside simply because it was a memoir.

A memoir is a collection of memories that an individual writes about, and it could be both public or private.​

What I love about most memoirs is that they are told in the kind of voice that feels like someone is making a confession but also entreating you to learn a few things from their experiences.
When you buy a memoir, you know that you will not read it at a sitting but rather have it with you as a companion so that you can always get in on someone's life as you live yours. I had not read anything by J.R., but on that day I got what I wanted and it's safe to say that I am still at page 101 of the book.

I still have 267 pages to go, and am taking my time because one's life story cannot be told in ten minutes. One's experiences both good and bad cannot be summarized in a sentence, because even then you'll miss out on the emotions, torments and understanding that they went through.

​Like, on page 17, he says "Life is all a matter of choosing which voices to tune in and which to tune out, a lesson I learned long before most people, but one that took me longer than most people to put to good use."​
I do wish however that there would be a memoir with cartoons. You know to capture those moments where you thought someone was being stuck up, or where you lost your marbles or better yet where you snoozed the alarm so much that you woke up an hour late!

I'd love to read such a memoir!
 
Do not let anyone define you.

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