Getting older is so tricky, isn't it? This is a time in our lives when we need our memories to be razor-sharp so we can pass on our wisdom, successes and mistakes to the younger generation. And just when we need our memories most...they play hide and seek!
I think Hilary's response was very sweet, and so like what we've come to know of her. I hope one day you find a copy of your letter to her.
I probably don't do it often enough, since it's a great way to introduce and promote the other blog I'm working on, but many of my readers subscribe to both so I try to keep that in mind. Still, there are always new readers who haven't been there and I want them to visit both places!
I think it could be powerful with another Substack writer, but you'd have to be really careful with the content, to make sure it's appropriate for both.
100%. I've collaborated with other authors to publish alongside them, but always with the author working alongside me in some way. Sometimes it's Q&A, sometimes a summary of their views and mine, but I have not yet tried a pure crosspost like this, and I am motivated to try one day.
What a great item to have, even with the mystery! I was daydreaming for you that somehow your letter to her exists at the Clinton Presidential Library, in a file of public correspondence to the first lady, wouldn't that be cool? Chances are slim because I think staff and archivists make decisions to only keep a small amount of those for posterity, but yours did get HRC's attention enough to warrant a response, so... :) I'd be writing to the archivists there just on the slim chance there's a nice easy file marked "public letters to HRC, 1998"!
Well, that's a thought. I wonder if they ever get requests like that? And I wonder if I really want to see what I wrote. In my imaginings it's probably a far better letter than in reality. 😏
Yeah the mystery of all the great things you could’ve said in your letter might be more fun than to really see it ;) But I do know archivists love to help people use these records and find what they’re looking for. Something to consider!
Two thoughts: 1. Wonderful post. I have blank spots like this from the sleepy years with young kids especially. It’s strange to find evidence of doing something and have zero memory of it. 2. Deep cleaning papers in June? Gulp. Maybe I should try it. 😳
Yes, in June. Spring slipped by and here it is summer and I'm just now getting around to what I'll laughingly call 'Spring cleaning'. 😊
This is my attempt at decluttering. I've been promising to do it for more than a year and I have no expectations that I'll actually finish it, but this is a start...
What a beautiful piece. What matters most is that you still have her letter to you and that you can cherish that journey of how you feel about Hillary today. I am right there with you.
Thanks so much. I'm happy to have found it now, and I'm never going to lose it again!
As for Hillary, I'm especially happy that more and more women are seeing her as a visionary and a leader. She may get her satisfaction yet. Maybe not in the White House, but she'll always be at the forefront of our battles.
Fabulous! A tedious tidy up unearthed a forgotten treasure that is now a family heirloom! Love it!!! And since that discovery was prompted by a new filing cabinet, I'll share a little game I play with my subconcious. I hope you give it a try.
I think of that part of my brain as the diligent office admin, who arrives at work when the rest of me clocks off. If I'm trying to excavate a memory, but having no luck, I wait for that moment just before sleep and silently ask her to find the file that contains the memory. Often, she ignores the request. I imagine her grumbling about all the stuff I threw at her that day - sights, sounds, smells, conversations, things I read, things I wrote. A thousand fresh memories of assorted sizes that need filing, on top of a mountain of older ones that are stacked and waiting, not to mention those that somehow got misfiled over the years and make for the most ridiculous dreams as she tries to sort out the mess. She's overwhelmed, and runnng out of space. Lol. I get it. But sometimes she listens to my request, and sets off madly in search - confidently diving deep into a massive pile of tiny folders.
And sometime during the night, she climbs her way back up the pile, and triumphantly delivers the memory just as my concious self pushes her aside and pulls me into a new day. It's very cool when it happens. :)
Well, that's just downright brilliant. You need to file this away for posterity. Put it in a safe place, but somewhere where you'll find it when somewhere down the road you remember you wrote something like this. ❤️
Okay, here's a thought: If you set up a Substack page you don't have to publish anything but whatever you write in that format could make you feel as if you might be onto something publishable. As I said, you don't have to commit to anything, you'll just get yourself into a mindset that could feel familiar and comfortable.
Why not write the letter you think you would have written, Ramona, print it (with a hand-written "Printed Jun 2023 from electronic copy" or whatever), and attach it to the WH letter. If the actual letter (from archives or whatever) shows up, toss the confabulated version. Your granddaughter will get the important part — the woman that her grandmother was. And pass that down the line.
Now, Jack, that would be cheating. You know I can't do that. Besides, I'd need some context and I'd just be guessing at what was so important I felt the need to write a letter to Hillary.
But I could start writing letters again and hope for some replies.
My take? There must have been something significant and heart-soul generated on your part to result in that lovely response. And now for you to have discovered her letter speaks to me about “Perfectly on Time” Ramona. Such a wonderful gift for you to pass along.
Oh, Hillary. It's always broken my heart the way she's been treated. We have a lot of younger friends and during 2016 they were sooooo anti-Hillary and soooo misinformed about who she was as a person. We sat them down -- so to speak -- and explained to them everything she did in the 90s (disagree that she was to blame for not getting health care passed), how she was insanely demonized and how that changed her, and on and on. I'm not saying they loved her afterward but I think they had a newfound respect for what a remarkable person she is.
Getting older is so tricky, isn't it? This is a time in our lives when we need our memories to be razor-sharp so we can pass on our wisdom, successes and mistakes to the younger generation. And just when we need our memories most...they play hide and seek!
I think Hilary's response was very sweet, and so like what we've come to know of her. I hope one day you find a copy of your letter to her.
Thanks. Getting old does have its downsides. Of course, the upside is we have a chance to grow old.
I hope I find it, too. There's always that possibility. After all, I did find the letter.
Wow, crazy find! A brush with someone truly important on the world stage, and no memory of how you got there.
I know! Don't rub it in! 😂
I also wanted to throw a quick comment on the cross-post idea; I want to try this out soon too. I think it seems appropriate here.
I probably don't do it often enough, since it's a great way to introduce and promote the other blog I'm working on, but many of my readers subscribe to both so I try to keep that in mind. Still, there are always new readers who haven't been there and I want them to visit both places!
I think it could be powerful with another Substack writer, but you'd have to be really careful with the content, to make sure it's appropriate for both.
You would also have to make sure you have permission. But you're right.
100%. I've collaborated with other authors to publish alongside them, but always with the author working alongside me in some way. Sometimes it's Q&A, sometimes a summary of their views and mine, but I have not yet tried a pure crosspost like this, and I am motivated to try one day.
What a great item to have, even with the mystery! I was daydreaming for you that somehow your letter to her exists at the Clinton Presidential Library, in a file of public correspondence to the first lady, wouldn't that be cool? Chances are slim because I think staff and archivists make decisions to only keep a small amount of those for posterity, but yours did get HRC's attention enough to warrant a response, so... :) I'd be writing to the archivists there just on the slim chance there's a nice easy file marked "public letters to HRC, 1998"!
Well, that's a thought. I wonder if they ever get requests like that? And I wonder if I really want to see what I wrote. In my imaginings it's probably a far better letter than in reality. 😏
Yeah the mystery of all the great things you could’ve said in your letter might be more fun than to really see it ;) But I do know archivists love to help people use these records and find what they’re looking for. Something to consider!
I may just do it! If I hear back you'll all know it!
Two thoughts: 1. Wonderful post. I have blank spots like this from the sleepy years with young kids especially. It’s strange to find evidence of doing something and have zero memory of it. 2. Deep cleaning papers in June? Gulp. Maybe I should try it. 😳
Yes, in June. Spring slipped by and here it is summer and I'm just now getting around to what I'll laughingly call 'Spring cleaning'. 😊
This is my attempt at decluttering. I've been promising to do it for more than a year and I have no expectations that I'll actually finish it, but this is a start...
Starts count! 😅
What a beautiful piece. What matters most is that you still have her letter to you and that you can cherish that journey of how you feel about Hillary today. I am right there with you.
Thanks so much. I'm happy to have found it now, and I'm never going to lose it again!
As for Hillary, I'm especially happy that more and more women are seeing her as a visionary and a leader. She may get her satisfaction yet. Maybe not in the White House, but she'll always be at the forefront of our battles.
Fabulous! A tedious tidy up unearthed a forgotten treasure that is now a family heirloom! Love it!!! And since that discovery was prompted by a new filing cabinet, I'll share a little game I play with my subconcious. I hope you give it a try.
I think of that part of my brain as the diligent office admin, who arrives at work when the rest of me clocks off. If I'm trying to excavate a memory, but having no luck, I wait for that moment just before sleep and silently ask her to find the file that contains the memory. Often, she ignores the request. I imagine her grumbling about all the stuff I threw at her that day - sights, sounds, smells, conversations, things I read, things I wrote. A thousand fresh memories of assorted sizes that need filing, on top of a mountain of older ones that are stacked and waiting, not to mention those that somehow got misfiled over the years and make for the most ridiculous dreams as she tries to sort out the mess. She's overwhelmed, and runnng out of space. Lol. I get it. But sometimes she listens to my request, and sets off madly in search - confidently diving deep into a massive pile of tiny folders.
And sometime during the night, she climbs her way back up the pile, and triumphantly delivers the memory just as my concious self pushes her aside and pulls me into a new day. It's very cool when it happens. :)
Well, that's just downright brilliant. You need to file this away for posterity. Put it in a safe place, but somewhere where you'll find it when somewhere down the road you remember you wrote something like this. ❤️
Trying not to sound too gushy, so I'll just say: Praise from you is very special to me! 🤗
Trying not to remind you again that you should be WRITING! ❤️
Trying but not succeeding. 🤣 But you're making me think about it. So you are actually succeeding. ❤
Okay, here's a thought: If you set up a Substack page you don't have to publish anything but whatever you write in that format could make you feel as if you might be onto something publishable. As I said, you don't have to commit to anything, you'll just get yourself into a mindset that could feel familiar and comfortable.
Just think about it. I've put together a four-part tutorial to get new Substack writers started. It's here if you want to play with it: https://writereverlasting.substack.com/s/substack-for-newbies
Wow! Very helpful! You are so wonderful for doing this! What an amazing mentor you are!
Why not write the letter you think you would have written, Ramona, print it (with a hand-written "Printed Jun 2023 from electronic copy" or whatever), and attach it to the WH letter. If the actual letter (from archives or whatever) shows up, toss the confabulated version. Your granddaughter will get the important part — the woman that her grandmother was. And pass that down the line.
Now, Jack, that would be cheating. You know I can't do that. Besides, I'd need some context and I'd just be guessing at what was so important I felt the need to write a letter to Hillary.
But I could start writing letters again and hope for some replies.
This time I would save a draft, though.
Just lovely! ❤️
Thank you. And thank you for always sharing. That means so much to me!
My take? There must have been something significant and heart-soul generated on your part to result in that lovely response. And now for you to have discovered her letter speaks to me about “Perfectly on Time” Ramona. Such a wonderful gift for you to pass along.
Oh, Hillary. It's always broken my heart the way she's been treated. We have a lot of younger friends and during 2016 they were sooooo anti-Hillary and soooo misinformed about who she was as a person. We sat them down -- so to speak -- and explained to them everything she did in the 90s (disagree that she was to blame for not getting health care passed), how she was insanely demonized and how that changed her, and on and on. I'm not saying they loved her afterward but I think they had a newfound respect for what a remarkable person she is.