A 67-year-old woman is seeking advice on what to do with the volumes of daily diaries she has kept since she was 15, filled with experiences from the wild ’70s. She is married with no children or relatives to pass them on to, but feels they hold historical significance. In response, columnist R. Eric Thomas encourages her to not stop writing, as the impact of her stories may be unknown. He suggests reaching out to local historians, community organizations, or even a theater company to donate the diaries for potential use in creating something new. By sharing her practice with others, she may inspire them to think about the value of recording their own lives. Thomas recalls his experience working with an organization that collected oral histories from LGBTQ+ elders, highlighting the importance of storytelling in informing policy-making and shaping perspectives on the past. He advises her to redact sensitive information before sharing the diaries and to explore opportunities for collaboration and preservation. Ultimately, he urges her to continue writing, as her diaries have the potential to do good in the world and inspire reflection in others. Readers are encouraged to follow Thomas’s work and submit questions for future columns.
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