Kia ora,
I’ve got a photo in the garage somewhere of me, aged two, sitting in my favourite bowl, wearing my favourite (and only) beaded necklace.
I am beaming in the way children do when they’re in the place they most want to be. It’s a hot day but I have my bowl of cool water. Also, my blue beaded necklace feels great. All is well in my world – which happens to be Rockville, out near the start of the Heaphy Track, where I started life.
I couldn’t find that photo, but Di Mackay could find her photo of herself, scaling a fence, on her way to freedom, as a two year old in Mosgiel.
Once free she would wander for hours, on the Taieri Plains, at the school next door, anywhere interesting, until she was found and returned, by and to the grownups. And by the way, when she grew up, she continued to wander the planet, enjoying adventures as a photographer.
Di shared this story of life at two via a selfie video below:
How about you? Where were you when you were two years old? What did you like doing? Did echoes of that behaviour continue in your life? Write about it if you can? Or if you’re able to – send me a very short video about it? Plus a pic of yourself at that age?
Why two? Because I’m launching my one year online memoir programme (for people living anywhere) Thursday October 2nd.
This means students will receive lessons, with short videos, straight to their inbox for one year. You can still join monthly meets with other memoir writers. You can join for as little as $20 per week. This will be my online course, and more.
As a bonus, if you finish your first draft by the end of October 2026, our amazing book designer will design a book cover just for you.
And one more thing, today I met a beautiful lady in her 70s who told me she had been thinking of writing a book, but doubted it would be very interesting.
I looked at her and thought: ‘please write it. You are the carrier of your family stories, and you could preserve those stories for future generations. You never know who might need your stories one day.’
And I wanted to share those thoughts with you.
Be brave, keep writing.
Charlotte x
Charlotte Squire 