What writing is worth saving?

I recently read an article encouraging older adults to share their "stories" with their children and grandchildren. It changed the focus of my current writing project.

Originally I planned to write a sequel to my "back of the room book," Machines Are the Easy Part; People Are the Hard Part that I wrote and my son illustrated in 2004 (free download here). Unlike my other books, published by respectable national companies, this little 126 booklet I self-published, allowing me to be a bit more personal, less formal in sharing my pithy insights and riotous humor. (Hah). It's primary audience was teachers, librarians, and technologists. I'd bring a few print copies to my workshops and give them as door prizes. It was, and still is, a fun little book. And did I mention it is a free download?

The source of this Volume II was, of course, my Blue Skunk blog. So over the past couple years, I had been slowly re-reading and selecting posts or bits of posts for the new book. But my change in audience has given me a different set of selection criteria. And after 3000 posts over the past 15 years, I have a fair bit of selecting to do. Now that my home and physical possessions have been downsized, I'm going to tackle the intellectual propery.

So what might be of value to my grandsons in 20 years? I doubt either will be teachers or librarians. So unless there is a lesson to be learned from my experience in education that can be applied across a wide variety of fields, it will not make the cut. Most of what I have to say about education has already published in my books, articles, and columns anyway.

Technology will certainly be a part of their careers and personal lives - directly or indirectly. With the speed with which technology changes, writing about it today with application for next month, let alone next decade, is challenging.

What may not change for the boys are observations about on the job management and supervision. Choices we make about finance. What we want for our children. How are lives should be lived.

I don't remember much direct instruction from my dad or grandfathers. (Maybe - Don't ride the clutch!) but I am sure I've long shared their values, as well as those learned from my mom and grandmothers. One of the most precious items in my house is a small print of my grandsons and me together that my daughter gave me that reads "My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it."

So what is worth saving? It's like asking "What did I do in my career and life that had value?" Maybe I'll just save the funny bits.