James describes our memories as being constructed from our attempts to start to tell a story about ourselves.
What memories play an important role in your story?
Church in childhood, meeting my ex-wife, birth of children, growth of children, near death of a child, work with students at University, learning to be honest about my self, divorce, fatherhood as a single man,
What truth do those memories convey about you?
Aloneness– the truths about myself, which are often constructed truths are rooted in my aloneness.
James says that we are “revisionist historians” and that that’s a good thing. What did he mean by that?
Our narratives are evolutionary and interpreted. There is no such thing as pure history- all history has the lens of experience and emotion.
How does the account you give about yourself today differ from the one you gave 5, 10 or 20 years ago?
I talk of being single! I am far more creative than I have ever thought out myself in the past.