ABSTRACT
The elderly savor telling the stories of their lives. With the perspective they have about their shrinking future, they often turn to reminiscing about the past as a special pleasure for their ongoing lives. They tell, or want to tell, stories about both the dramatic and everyday events of their former selves. These reminiscences can be merely internal conversations with themselves, but sometimes, with great joy, they are performances for eager audiences, especially for loved ones who have shared their lives in some way, or for young people who are hungry to discover the personal side of earlier times.
