Hey Baby Boomers, time to dust off those memories and share on MyRetrospect.com

Talking with the founders of Retrospect Media — Susan Hansen, John and Patricia Zussman — it’s easy to see what drew them together to start their latest venture. They are all Portola Valley residents. John and Patti (as she’s known) are married to each other. Patti and Susan went to Mills College together. Then there’s their shared entrepreneurial streak.

John and Patti have deep roots in technology with an emphasis on tech writing.  Susan works part time in the Stanford Development office, which requires, yes, writing. And it’s writing — more specifically shared stories — that they are featuring on MyRetrospect.com, specifically those of Baby Boomers (1946-1964).

“Our parents have left the stage, and we are losing their stories,” said John. “If we don’t tell our stories, we’ll lose those, too.”

Added Patti: “The diverse collection of stories demonstrates the power of shared experiences. At our age, people like to review their memories and put their lives in context.”

The free online story-sharing website has already surpassed 500 stories, lumped into topics, such as the beach, Father’s Day, war and remembrance, that are suggested and posted weekly. “It’s our conviction that in a world of fake news and alternative facts, there’s real value in documenting and sharing our authentic experiences,” said Susan.

For those who are daunted by the idea of putting pen to paper — or more accurately, keystroke to keyboard — John explained that they’re working on ways to take the pressure off. “Writing style is less important — just tell your story as you would if you were talking. Stories are how we make sense of the world.”

Photo by Robb Most, showing left to right Patti, John, Susan (c) 2017