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The
"Your Life is Your Story" Blog Archives
Read about
quality family history and life story news, views, methods, products,
links, services
...and whatever else catches our fancy
February,
2004
current
blog entries
blog archive index
February 28, 2004
Some people find that telling their life story involves recounting some
terrific difficulties and hardships. Often this means recalling very
painful situations. Children who have dealt with abuse, violence, drug
and alcohol problems and even attempted suicide are the subject of a
new book, Real Teens, Real Stories, Real Life
from writer T. Suzanne Eller (also a survivor of child abuse).
If you find that this is an area in
your life that you want to write about and wonder about how to do it,
especially so it helps others, then this book is for you. In the end,
you may find that telling your story also helps you. See more here. And there is more about
Eller at her Real Teens...Real Faith web site.
February 24, 2004
Food for thought - or maybe better for action: "I hear and I forget. I
see and I remember. I do and I understand."
- Chinese Proverb
February 23, 2004
Part of everyone's story is commemorating the significant events in our
lives. It's important to celebrate these occassions. As far as
preserving your life story goes, take the time to recall these events.
But there is a bigger, more important message here. How are you
celebrating the events of today and tomorrow?
Traditions, rites of passage, religious ceremonies, graduations,
weddings, and career milestones are all eventful. We can do a lot to
memoralize our friends, family and (especially) our children's special
life moments. Take this prompting and run with it. Plan ways to
celebrate that leave a positive, affirming and lasting impression.
February 22, 2004
The American Folklife Center of the
Library of Congress has been actively collecting the stories of
America's war veterans, a very worthy history
project. During WWII their were many women involved on the "Home Front"
and now their stories are being collected, too. These women, known as
"Rosies" from the "Rosie the Riveter" posters, spent countless hours
involved in factory work, such as shipbuilding.
The National Historical Park Service
is creating a special Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front Park.
You can see more about it and also contribute "Rosie" stories at this
site developed by Ford Motor Co., the National Park
Foundation and the National Park Service.
February 19, 2004
I came across this site in the UK about
preserving your family history and a contest that could win you a video
camera and exposure on the History Channel. It's called the Family
History Project and is open to anyone 18 or older in the
United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. Be sure to read the terms and
conditions.
February 18, 2004
If you are the family historian of your clan you probably keep track of
letters, photographs, important dates, events and maybe a bit of
genealogy. You also might be doing some writing.
It's a good idea for anyone to write everyday, but especially so for
those who consider themselves "writers". Studies even show that writing
is good for your health - yet another good reason to keep a journal.
You should check out this article that talks about the value
of free-writing to improve your health, attitude and writing in only
ten minutes a day.
February 12, 2004
What is a grandmother? ( taken from
papers written by a class of 8 year olds)
A grandmother is a lady who has no
little children of her own. She likes other peoples. A grandfather is a
man grandmother.
Grandmothers don't have to do
anything except be there when we come to see them. They are so old they
shouldn't play hard or run. It is good if they drive us to the store
and have lots of quarters for us.
When they take us for walks, they
slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillars. They show us
and talk to us about the color of the flowers and also don't step on
cracks."
They don't say, "Hurry up." Usually
grandmothers are fat, but not too fat to tie your shoes. They wear
glasses and funny underwear. They can take their teeth and gums out.
Grandmothers don't have to be smart. They have to answer questions like
"why isn't God married?" and "How come dogs chase cats?".
When they read to us, they don't
skip. They don't mind if we ask for the same story over again.
Everybody should try to have a
grandmother, especially if you don't have television, because they are
the only grown ups who like to spend time with us. They know we should
have snack-time before bedtime and they say prayers with us every time,
and kiss us even when we've acted bad.
Pass this along to another
Grandmother.
It will make their day
February 11, 2004
I haven't seen the movie Big
Fish yet, but I know I should. All of us probably
like to spin some wild tales (if only in our heads). Here's a film
about a father and a son and dear-old-dad is soon to pass on. Time for
"passing the torch". Only the son (played by Billy Crudup) is tired of
his father's stories...past exploits he's convinced are mostly
fabricated. The Tim Burton directed film features Ewan McGregor as the
young Ed Bloom, and Albert Finney as the aging/dying/older Ed. Finney
is one of the finest actors around (IMHO). Story sounds intriguing,
especially if you are considering a family biography.
February 10, 2004
Do you ever spend time cutting out magazine pictures, gathering scraps
of drawings and artwork, old pictures and the like and pasting them
together? Just that time in therapy, you say?
I remember doing it in school. Actually, some people make a real
artform out of it. You should see the scrapbook collages
(metropolismag.com) made by Charles Wilkins. He's a
graphic designer and he's been doing this professionally for years.
Pretty neat stuff.
February 9, 2004
Video Biographies are making the news...or the
radio, anyway. Recently NPR (National Public Radio
for the acronym challenged) ran a story on a family business
that specializes in what they call the"Personal Television Biography".
Why not? We live in a video/television age. Check out what they are up
to at Farnese.
Oh, and do check out the information/resources we have on video biographies.
Everybody has a story to tell!
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