In 2006, my family and I traveled Philadelphia to visit the birthplace of the Constitution. Naturally, the visit inspired us. We witnessed the long conveyor belts of newly minted coins at the U.S. Mint; we saw the Liberty Bell's crack (which, incidentally, was caused when trying to fix a larger crack); and we walked the footsteps of the Founding Fathers at Independence Square.

But the museum that left the most lasting impression on me was an unassuming place called the Independence Living History Center. Inside the main part of the museum, artifacts unearthed at National Constitution were arranged on numerous tables for scientists to sift through. These artifacts represented small clues into the lives of everyday folks who lived during this great time in American history.

I wondered what the archaeologists were doing. A caretaker told me that history books aren't written about everyday people. There written about the Benjamin Franklins and the Thomas Jeffersons of the World. We have to put the rest of the stories together with whatever clues we can find.

History reconstructed from garbage?

Do you know where a lot of these artifacts were found? They were found in the colonists' version of the trash. I don't know about you, but I'm sure that I don't want my history to be reconstructed from trash.

The facts...

Probably nobody will write a book about me. Probably not about you, either. I don't like to think that two hundred years from now, some historian will try to recreate a generalized concept of how I lived based on a few dirty garbage items recovered at the local landfill. Do you?

Your Life Is Worth Preserving!

Every life has a story. Your life is a worthwhile story. Preserve it. Pass it on.

Writing your autobiography is daunting. It's especially tough to do it on your own.

Move Forward

Take the first step: Start Writing.

Your story will unfold.

Tell your own story! Don't leave it to someone else.