Write your memoirs (inspired by the memories about Dad thread)

[missypie]

Several years ago, my parents gave my sister and I the most incredible Christmas gift. They each typed up their "memoirs" on their home computer, copied in some pictures, and had them copied and bound at a copy shop. They are each just incredible. My dad's is really of a quality that it could be published. (My mom's is a lot shorter; she had a pretty bad childhood and left out a lot to protect the living and the dead.)

Both of them used similar formats - they didn't try to make them like a book or anything. They just wrote anything from a paragraph to several pages on various topics like "My Favorite Teacher" "The Dirtiest man I Ever Met" (about the guy who filled the coal bins) "Uncle Bill", etc. Tiny little details of their childhoods - what ordinary life was like in 1942 - are just fascinating.

So if you are "of an age", please write down your memories for your children and grandchildren. If you start now, it can be your special Christmas present to others. (You don't even have to be a grandparent - my kids can't imagine a time without movies on demand/VCRs - and that was only 25 years ago!)

If you have an older relative who isn't up to writing memoirs, please volunteer to take dictation or record their memories. It will be very much worth your time!

 

[Saffron]

That's a beautiful post missypie. I would love to sit down with my mom and do that. Maybe we can start this summer. Thanks for the loving reminder.

 

[grinningghost]

What a great idea. Right now, my DD is just starting to come around to the point where she enjoys hearing about my younger days. (For a while, she was at the "too cool" age).

I am very lucky (and sometimes it's not so lucky) to have an incredible memory for details. My parents are often astounded at the things I remember. They'll start out saying "When you were little, we had this old Chevy..." and then I'll jump in and tell them all about it.

I think I'll start writing it all down tonight. Thanks so much for the inspiration!