“Trunk Tours”, as I  see it, is a compilation of my own life experiences.  As a reporter for a little country newspaper, right out of college, my favorite assignments consisted of interviewing the long time residents who recounted the history of the local area. Later on, I took courses which emphasized the importance of personal life stories, especially from the vantage point of elders. Then I had the pleasure of working with youth to publish the life stories of elders.

All of us have a vision of elders sitting around the campfire sharing their triumphs and losses, in the hope of offering something to the younger generation that will help the young to navigate their lives successfully. For eons, afterall, the elders have sat around that campfire. It’s important to society to have elders as counselors. Their stories, I am  convinced, heal the individual and contribute to the solidarity of a culture.

Those of you who have witnessed a trunk tour know that objects from the past, some of them antiques, and  some of them not, are treasures none-the-less to me. Old stuff, and occasionally a bonifide find, has been a favorite pastime of mine. I had been an amateur collector for years before the conception of “Trunk Tours”.

I  think that  “Trunk Tours” is the culmination of my careers in journalism, collecting, nursing homes and activities. “Trunk Tours” is like some kind of cultural glue that ties together my careers, allows me to share a multi-sensory experience with cherised seniors, and helps preserve their legacy.

Marilyn Maxwell May

October 30, 2001

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