An epiphany that struck me in 2015 while emceeing my 40th high school reunion in Halifax, Nova Scotia, refused to fade into obscurity. Just before the COVID-19 pandemic engulfed the world, a chance encounter reignited my passion, pushing me to breathe life into that dormant idea. As months of the pandemic isolation unfolded, I embarked on a literary journey that would illuminate my path.
The first spark came from The Fourth Turning, a prophetic book by Neil Howe and William Strauss. Written in 1997, it predicted the turbulent landscape of the 2020s, foretelling a profoundly fractured and polarized nation. Their insights ring alarmingly true today.
Next, I delved into Life is in the Transitions by Bruce Feiler, a gripping exploration of how individuals navigate life’s upheavals. Feiler traveled across all 50 states, interviewing approximately 225 people and probing the essence of their life challenges. He unveiled a profound truth: most of us are perpetually in a state of transition; stability is a fleeting illusion. Through his journey, I was introduced to Dr. Dan McAdams of Northwestern University.
The final revelation came from McAdams’ the stories we live by. A Harvard Ph.D. and a leading authority in narrative psychology, McAdams shared a robust interview protocol honed over years of inquiry. He urged readers to use it, and I heeded his advice.
These pivotal events coalesced into a blueprint for my endeavor, branding myself as The Life Chronicler. All that remained was to set a launch date. In October 2021, Pfizer extended an irresistible offer for retirement, and within ten days, my project’s website was live. I envisioned a journey across the United States and Canada, echoing Feiler’s quest to engage individuals in profound conversations about their lives, inspired by McAdams’ insights. I believed these dialogues could act as a balm for our fractious society, though the impact would be far more profound for the interviewees.
On May 1, 2022—my birthday—I set forth on the first of four epic road trips, covering an astonishing 26,403 miles from my home in northern Illinois. I rented out my house, and my ex graciously offered me a place to stay between the road trips. Exactly one year, one month, one week, and one day later, I returned home, having delivered 19 speeches and connecting with nearly a thousand souls. I conducted in-depth interviews with 71 individuals and posed a provocative question to countless anonymous respondents across America:
Some historians argue that the United States is as divided as it has been since the 1840s and 1850s. How divided do you believe we are? Why? What does our future hold?
The answers I gathered from the life interviewees and anonymous interlocutors became the very fabric of my book. As I journeyed back to my roots, all that remained was to weave their input into the narrative I had envisioned.