Impressions
Will you write your own story ?
by Dr . Stephen T . Radack III , Editor
I had planned to write a different editorial until October 11 . That day , Mary ’ s dad , Jack Umpleby , passed away at the age of 96 . He was a member of The Greatest Generation . Although the passing of a loved one is a sad time , the sting of this loss was not as great . Jack lived a long , mostly healthy life and was still living independently in his home , as he had done for the last 19 years since the passing of Mary ’ s mom . I know neither she nor her five siblings ever thought he would last that long . During the last few years , both his vison and hearing began to fail ; he became a prisoner in his home and would always tell us he was ready to “ go ” and be with his wife . Jack made sure all of the arrangements were made in advance to make his passing easier on his loved ones . He had even written his own obituary .
How many of us could or will write our own story ? I don ’ t know many of us who will ever have an autobiography written about their lives . Unless you are a famous actor , musician , athlete or political figure , most of our life stories won ’ t be written until we die . I guess our obituaries are really a summation of our lives in addition to the announcement of our passing . When were we born ? Where ? Who were our parents ? Siblings ? Spouse ? Children and grandchildren ? Our education ? Where did we work and what did we do ? What were our hobbies ? Did we belong to clubs and professional organizations ? Is there anything we want folks reading about us to know that was important ?
I found it interesting that my dad , who died in 2010 , and my father-in-law , both had taken the time to write their stories well before they had passed away . Did they do this because they wanted to make sure their stories were told by them and not worry about someone else telling their story once they were gone ? Did they just want to make sure all the words were already down on paper , so that other than adding the date of their passing and including the additional grandchildren and great grandchildren that may have been born since then , it would be ready ?
As I reread my dad ’ s story and compared it to my father-in-law ’ s , I noted they were very similar and pointed out details that many did not know but were obviously important to them . I never knew that in my dad ’ s 36-year career at General Electric ’ s Locomotive Division he had been awarded several patents in the development of AC Traction Control equipment . I always have wondered why he never talked about that or shared these accomplishments with my brother and me ? Jack was also very specific to let readers of his story know what he did for 44 1 / 2 years at his company and exactly what that company did , just in case you did not know . Both men made sure to mention their service in the military , my dad in the Army in Germany in the late 50s and Jack in the Army Air Corps during WW II .
As I reflect on both of these men and how they wanted the story of their lives to be printed , it made me contemplate my own story and if I should write it now . As most of you know who read this journal or read my blog when I was PDA president , I have no problem writing ! I know my wife or my daughters could also write my story , if I choose to leave it up to them . Should we at least sit down and either write our stories or at least outline what we hope another author will say ? Are there important details we also want folks to know about our lives once we are gone ? I am sure every one of us has something unique to tell .
Will you write your own story ? Why not ? Why wait ?
P . S . – As another year comes racing to a close , I want to take a moment to thank you for taking the time to read our publication , and especially for providing any feedback . I also want to wish you and your families well and hope you have a happy holiday season ! Drop me a line any time at stradack3 @ gmail . com .
— STR3
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2024 | PENNSYLVANIA DENTAL JOURNAL 5