My friends call me a story teller.... but I am not a creative writer. Think of me as a reporter. My stories are not about me, rather, they are about what I saw and heard or thought about on my trip through life.

Now I realize there are still a lot of stories locked up in my memory, some still well hidden from me. But, the brain is a strange thing. All I need to do is pick up one of my own books and read a story I wrote, and lo and behold, another story appears.

I don't know how your memory works, but when I recall some happening, it's like watching a movie screen. I just see things happening as they did once long ago. I don't need to know that I've seen it before. I don't need to close my eyes, but sometimes it helps. Scenes flash through my mind, as in a movie, and I know I've seen that before. I can make notes that will further jog my memory. Then, when I sit down to write about it, I can retrieve much of it. Sometimes, when that event has withdrawn into the shadows again, I find tha if I just begin to write about it, the mist will clear, and I can just report what I am seeing.

Happily, this business of digging into my own memory has had the marvelous effect of stimulating and invigorating my memory. As I write this, I look back on my 89th birthday. Many folks find thier memory failing at this age, but mine seems to be steadily improving. I am sure this is because I continue to use it. The trite saying. "Use it or lose it." may well be true, and I plan to continue to use mine as long as possible.

In fact, I can't seem to avoid it. There is a file in which I'm storing reminders for new stories, all true, that have returned to me spontaneously and another file for where I'm putting "reminder clues" for stories I hope to retrieve. Just the other day, I woke up about 3 A.M. with an event from sixty years ago buzzing around in my head. It was so demanding, and funny in a way, that at last I just got up and began writing. By 4:30 A.m. I had written all I could, so I clicked on SAVE, and went back to sleep until nearly 8:00 A.M. Later, I picked it up and read what I had written and recalled some more details, which I then added to the story. I don't even seem to be in charge here, some of these simply write themselves. I may be there will be another book in this old man's head.

I began my sharing my stories when my son urged me to write down some of the experiences I would share with the family, before I knew it I had written enough to fill 157 pages of a book.  I would go on to write and fill another book.

There’s more about these books on the other pages of this website. I have enjoyed writing these stories, and enjoyed sharing them with many people since. 

If you have not yet purchased copies of my books for your school, historical society, book club, family, or for personal enjoyment, please explore this site - it is designed to provide information, to share the comments of others who have read Grandfather Stories (and now, More Grandfather Stories), and to enable you to order as many copies or sets as you would like.

If you have already read my books, please share your thoughts directly with me via email so that others may more easily choose my books (or not). If you would like additional copies, please let me know when ordering that you have already enjoyed reading either volume.

Thank you for visiting my website. (Listen)

With best wishes,

Hal Wilder

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Volume II - More Grandfather Stories - now available!