It can be hard to encourage someone, even a natural storyteller to share their stories especially when they think they won’t remember or if some of the stories might be a bit painful. Getting a storyteller started can often be the challenging part of the memory collecting process. However, once the story flood gates open there is always energy and enthusiasm as the memory river begins to flow.
When our client started interviewing her 96-year-old grandfather, he was like many of us, grumbling about the weather or how he was feeling. Once she started asking him probing and strategic questions however, he became fully engaged. He felt very honoured to have someone giving him their undivided attention and more importantly their genuine interest in his life story. She often found that it was she who needed to take a break as he was so energized. You can see the full page from his relocation story here.
It seems that procrastinating is very easy to do when it comes to something as non-urgent as collecting our memories. As mentioned in my last newsletter, I am going to start collecting my own stories, every month on the 17th (in recognition of my birthdate). I am taking an hour to put my voice record app on and start talking. Well you would think that this is something I could easily start doing. However, as a few hours passed my scheduled start time because of little delays, I realized that I was procrastinating.
I was shocked. I mean really, I should be “good” at this right? Nope. I was delaying, but once I finally sat down, with a cup of tea, fire well stocked and warm socks on, I pressed start and the hour flew by. I know for sure the next time will be easier to get started. Have you started recording your story? Trust me, once you get going it’s quite fun. If you need help getting the memory river flowing, check out our magic questions for some inspiration.
I saw a lovely tribute to Stuart McLean recently that really echoes my sentiments about how important our lives are. “Stuart McLean connected us – to our country and to each other. He entertained us, he made us think, he made us smile. Occasionally he made us cry. And, through all of that, he reminded us that life is made up of small moments. We never know which ones will be forgotten and which ones will stay with us forever. We celebrate Stuart’s life by trying to make each moment count and by being grateful for all of them.” – Echo Stories
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Okay, now imagine me standing in front of a room. Hello my name is Deborah and I am a story junkie. I’m addicted to collecting memories. Can you help me with my addiction? It’s a win/win situation because I can help you create a legacy. Want to work together on this? Send me a note, I’d love to chat.
