Do you have older loved ones in your family or friendship circles?
I've been reflecting on the urgent need to capture important stories from the past lest we repeat history's mistakes.
Hi everyone
Sending this mid-week update as I finish proof reads for the book, and as we gear up for a big year at GC post-Davos.
I've emphasized the significance of documenting the past before, particularly in times like these where many may share a sense of foreboding. I imagine this feeling might be akin to what people in the late 1920s and 1930s experienced. It's challenging to truly grasp unless you've spoken to someone who lived through those times. A few months ago, I had the chance to converse with someone who did.
When I was at high school, I used to walk my dog down the local park as soon as I got home. Quite often I bumped into a nice older man. Len, well into his 80s at the time, would tell me what life was like growing up in the 1920s and 30s.
When I moved to New York I lost touch with Len until last year. My mum works in an aged care home and in October Len checked into it. He was 105.
Remembering his stories, I asked mum to set up a FaceTime and we spoke for almost 90 minutes as I interviewed Len all about his life. I recorded the whole discussion.
He was born in 1917 while the 1st world war still raged. And yet his memory was so sharp. The way he described his time serving in the Second World War was as if we were there watching it unfold in front of us.
It was a great story of resilience against impossible odds and the importance of remembering the past. In fact I feature some of Len’s story in my upcoming book, From Ideas to Impact.
Not long after I interviewed him, Len passed the day after his 106 birthday. He told his daughter he had seen enough and it was his time to go. He passed away the next day. I’m glad I got to capture his story and I hope I do justice to his memory in some way.
If you know anyone still alive from his generation, please take the time to talk to them, and if they’re willing document their story please do so. We forget history at our peril. Reflecting on these stories might cause us not to take so much of the present for granted.
Vale Leonard Thompson
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Also, for those interest in my book, I got word about this special discount offering Barnes & Noble, Inc. is currently running until this Friday.
This applies to pre-orders for my book. All you need to do is go to their site and enter the discount code PREORDER25 and you'll get a 25% discount off the price of the book.
You can find the link here. But be quick as it only lasts until this Friday!
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Finally, for those in New York, a reminder that my book campaign kick-off is taking place next Tuesday, January 30th, Midtown East, from 5:30pm. You can RSVP here if you haven’t already and location details will be sent to you.
Until this week’s regular weekly update!
Mick