Your oldest stories are your family's most valuable heirlooms. Let's put them on paper so they (and you!) can be in your family forever. 

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Why tell your stories?

It's your gift to your descendants. Every one of them will feel as if they know you. And you'll get to give them the benefits of your experiences.

Your stories tell them who they are and make them feel good about it. Heirloom Stories aren't just history - they connect descendents to it.

You'll give your descendants some of the self-esteem and support that elders give children in all societies - except ours.

You get to stay with your family. Long after your body stops working, you'll be entertaining and educating family members with stories from when you were their age.

It's fun. Elders have the most fun when they're telling stories. It's what they do in all traditional societies, and it's one of the few skills that improve with age.

Adulthood is about productivity (a.k.a. work). If that doesn't excite you anymore, try storytelling. You'll be surprised how good you are, how much fun it is, and how much others appreciate it.

It's healthy. When my father (Jack) and I started our storytelling project, we didn't expect Jack to live another month. His health and mood improved immediately and he lived another 7 years. Why?

It's a good investment. How much would you value stories about your grandparent's grandparents? I'm sure they would be worth more to you than any other heirloom. Let's conservatively value them at $100.

Multiply that value by the number of descendants you expect to have. If you think humanity will last more than 600 years, your descendants should number in the millions. (See "How many descendants" in the left column.)

The product of (the value per person) times (the number of descendants) is how valuable your stories are. That would be at least $100 million in 600 years.

But, like the Gambler says, "The cards ain't worth nothin' if you don't lay 'em on the table."

If you don't write down your stories, you've wasted all that value. (If you'd like to start writing your stories ASAP, contact me here.)

It gives you immortality. - Or as close to it as we can get. The people who carry your genes into the future will also carry your family stories. -And along with that comes your thoughts, beliefs, values, attitudes, logic, humor, morals, and personality.

It makes you a V.I.P. - And not just because you wrote a book. No matter what your stories are about, they'll teach readers to think like you. - And that will make them act like you. Not exactly, but a little. Multiply that by millions, and you can see how you'll be a Very Influential Person in coming centuries.

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Are elders wise?

We develop more common sense every day. By the time we're elders, we're experts in it.

How is common sense different from wisdom? The first time we hear it, we call it wisdom. After living with it for a while, we call it common sense.

Your stories are held together by your common sense. Young people experience it as wisdom. - And it is.

Your wisdom can change a young person's life path. - but only if you get into their heads. As an elder, you have a direct, almost unfair, effect on your descendants' thoughts. - And first-person stories like Heirloom Stories speak to readers from inside their heads. Your stories can do a lot of good.

But, like the Gambler says, ...ya gotta lay 'em on the table. Your stories can't do any good if you keep them in your head.

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Why ask me to write your stories?

Because you probably won't write them yourself.

Elders love telling stories. - But they're not interested in work.

When adults turn into elders, their interests move from working to teaching - usually through stories. It helps humanity because our wisest members are more valuable as teachers than workers. (Read more ideas about elderhood in my upcoming book here.)

The best elder stories come from people who are the least interested in working. And writing Heirloom Stories is definitely work.

As an adult, I thrive on meaningful work. I specialize in writing Heirloom Stories®. I own the trademark and domain name. I wrote the book, the website, and I'm still charging 1900s prices. (Of course, anything less than $100 million is a bargain. - Right?)

We'd make a good team. I hope to hear from you soon.

Contact me here or call me at (858) 273-1111.

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Rick writes Heirloom Stories the way they're told: short, personal, and ending with a twist, usually a laugh.

Let Rick turn your life stories into Heirloom Stories. Your descendants will enjoy them for centuries.

Read more about Heirloom Stories here
Read sample stories here or here.
Read a book-in-progress here.
Contact Rick here or call him at (858) 273-1111.