There’s an old saw horse sitting under our feijoa trees.
It’s rickety and scarred.
Kinda like the man who used to use it. Actually, he probably would have taken exception with the word ‘rickety,’ dying before he could match that description, but he had some impressive scars, including one from a bullet, on his forehead.
I remember my dad Ken building so many things with that saw horse.
I can see him now, wearing one of his many beige shirts, rolled up to the forearm, sawing wood, sweating, chatting to us as he worked, building, fixing, making stuff.
He had dark brown eyes, another scar above his top lip from a welding accident and he always wore a cap.
He was a do-it-yourself kinda guy, my dad. He’d fix everything – the house, cars, bikes. And he used that sawhorse often.
Do you have something like that at your house? An object that someone in your family used?
What does it look like? Who used it? What did they use it for? Who were they to you?
These sorts of details bring a story to life.
I’d love to hear about an object that comes to mind for you; and let me know if you’re willing to share the story with our community of memoir, life story and family history writers.
Remember – your story matters, so keep writing.
Charlotte x
PS For those who are thinking of starting or working more seriously on their stories this winter, you are invited to write your memoir with me in person, starting early June, in beautiful Golden Bay.
Join my course Write Your Memoir and we’ll meet in early June, at a cosy country hall, to get writing! After that we might meet up again in spring, summer, and autumn. You are amongst the first people I’ve told and I’d love to know what you think, so reach out with any thoughts or questions.
Charlotte Squire 