Note: The Herald is publishing, in serial form, the book "How to Write an Interesting Personal History--Without Lying" by Georgia Jensen Blosil, a Provo author. The book is available for $9.95 at a number of local bookstores, or from the author. E-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 801-374-6968.

Ansel Adams is renowned for his beautiful, innovative and instructive contributions to the world of photography. His autobiography, begun in his ninth decade of life, is an example of a highly entertaining personal history presentation.

The professionally hardbound copies of his personal history include prints of some of his beautiful photographs. Of course, these provide great pleasure to photographers and lovers of photography. Yet, his choices of personal experiences, his humor, his reflections on what he learned during his life as a unique human being, are inspiring and valuable reading for all audiences.

On the page opposite is a snapshot I took of my husband, Warren Blosil and John Sexton in John's professional darkroom in Monterey, California. John is himself an internationally respected photographer. He was technical and photographic assistant, and then consultant, to Ansel Adams from 1979 to 1984. Warren met John in 1981 at the Ansel Adams photo workshop in Yosemite National Park. Warren has wonderful memories of that workshop to enter in his own personal history: the photography instruction Adams gave, and Warren's personal, intimate look at the man himself. In addition, Warren has had the privilege of attending John's own photographic workshops. He and John have remained friends over the years.

You may feel that you cannot do a good job of telling your life story because you have not kept a personal journal. Perhaps you feel your memory is inadequate, and the time for accurately recording your "mundane existence" is past. Please do not listen to such discouraging and tempting excuses. You have much to share with your family and friends.

There is much to enjoy in the Ansel Adams autobiography, not only because he is famous and describes famous friends but because of the human comedy and joys of his life expressed in his own words. All people are interesting when they tell their own stories

There are advantages to writing a personal history at any age, but particularly after one has lived to an age of good judgment. There is great value in wise retrospection compared to one's on-the-spot viewpoint. Later in our lives, perhaps even in the ninth decade, we can reminisce with renewed pleasure, and put our experiences into a precious, inheritable manuscript.

Let your personal history writing begin.