LINKS:
Steve Anderson's 52 Questions in 52 Weeks
52 Stories (You will actually find 12 questions in each of 12 different categories or 144 possibilities!)
52 Stories for families (expand upon your personal history by including your family)
Script from the Define Your Dash power point presentation at Ogden's Family History Center (1/25/22)
Slide 1.
Writing your own life story … or someone
else’s
Slide 2.
On nearly every headstone is carved on
universal symbol.
It's a simple horizontal line – a dash
– separating two significant dates.
The first marks the day one precious
soul entered this mortal life.
The second marks his or her inevitable
journey onward.
Slide 3. A well-known poem by Linda Ellis speaks of this symbol.
The Dash
For that dash represent all the time
That they spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved them
Know what that little line is worth.
Because it is human nature to think of our lives in
terms of beginnings and endings, the New Year gives us the perfect opportunity
to make sure we are making the most of that dash, filling in the details of our
lives so our loved ones and our posterity are not left wondering what happened
in between.
Slide 4.
George Durrant once said, “A birth
certificate proves that you were born.
A personal history proves that you
lived – you really lived.”
Slide 5. You may be thinking, "I've
got plenty of time to record my life story for my posterity. Why start
now?"
Great personal benefits come from reflecting over your
life, collecting your thoughts, and organizing your experiences.
Slide 6. That's where
Family Search's #52Stories Project comes in. The idea is to write one brief
story about your life, past or present, every week this year. You can do this
in a handwritten journal, in a document on your computer, or via a series of
voice or video recordings. You can even select certain stories to share on your
FamilySearch Family Tree profile, where they’ll be preserved for your
posterity.
Slide 7.
Don't expect to sit down and pour out the events of your entire life in one
epic writing session.
Slide 8.
Just like a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step...
Slide 9.
A personal history begins with a single story, followed by another story, and
another one.
Slide 10.
That's where Family Search's #52Stories Project comes in.
The idea is to write one brief story
about your life, past or present, every week this year. You can do this in a
handwritten journal, in a document on your computer, or via a series of voice
or video recordings. You can even select certain stories to share on your
FamilySearch Family Tree profile, where they’ll be preserved for your
posterity.
Slide 11.
Sounds easy enough in theory, but what on earth are you going to write about
each week? Should you just start at the beginning and record all the events of
your life chronologically?
Actually, no. That’s the most
challenging way to go about this project. Memory isn’t orderly, structured, or
predictable. Recollections are more likely to surface randomly, sparked by
various external triggers. Embrace the randomness, and just start writing.
Slide 12.
You don't have to look far
for great memory triggers. The 52 stories Project has divided the year into 12
themes from "Goals & Achievements" to "Education &
School" to "Holidays & Traditions," providing 12 different
questions for each theme. That's a total of 144 questions, giving you
plenty of options to choose from as you build your library of 52 stories. You
can find these at #52Stories Printables (familysearch.org) and
also a link on our blog under define your dash.
Steve Anderson also generated a list of 52 questions
which were chosen because they evoke specific pieces of information. By the
time someone has answered all of these questions, they should have all the
genealogical information they need to uniquely and positively identify
themselves, their parents and their siblings. Even more importantly, the
information gleaned from these questions will give the reader a peek into the
thoughts and feelings of the person who answered them. These questions will
shed a light on their hopes and their dreams. You can find these questions on
our templeandfamilyhistoryclass.blogspot.com under 52 questions in 52 weeks.
Slide 13.
Here are some sample questions:
If you could make a good living doing
the one thing you love most in the world, what would it be?
How many different homes or cities
have you lived in throughout your life?
What were some of your favorite
holiday traditions and how far back do they go?
Tell the story of how you met your own
true love. How long did it take for you to know he or she was "the
one"?
What do you know about the day you
were born?
Each week for 1 year, take one
question and write as much or as little as you want. You can write 1 paragraph
or you can write several pages for each question. Page count is not important;
it’s the information that matters. Questions do not need to be answered in any
special order.
If a person answers just 1 question a week for
a year, they will have created a remarkable legacy of remembrance for their
posterity.
Start filling in the details of your
dash now, while you’re still in the middle. Discover the power of capturing
current insights and shaping your own personal history—and the joy of writing
as a means of remembering and understanding.
Slide 14.
"People often use the excuse that their lives are uneventful and nobody
would be interested in what they have done.
But I promise you that if you will keep your journals and records they
will be a source of great inspiration to your families, to your children, your
grandchildren, and others, on through the generations."
Slide 15. Your story is amazing and it’s
important, and it needs to be told. Beyond names, dates, and places, we want to
capture the stories of your life. You don't have to start at the beginning if
you don't want to. There is no rule stating your life history must be written
chronologically – although you can choose to rearrange the stories later so
that it is ... if chronology matters to you. Perhaps you prefer to group
stories by topics.
Slide 16. Some people like to start at the
beginning, such as “What’s your earliest childhood memory?” But again, you don’t have to! You choose what you are going to share and when.
Slide 17. You are the best
person to write your story.
·
You were there!
·
You know all the
details.
·
JK Rowling
couldn't tell your stories better than you can.
You are the only human
being ever born to this earth who has your unique perspective and life
experiences. Nobody else knows as much as you do about your life: what happened
when, where you were, who was there, why you reacted the way you did, and how
you felt.
Slide 18. “If you don't write
your history it might be written by someone else. Then it will be a history, but it sure won't
be personal. And if it isn't personal,
much of its impact will be lost."
Slide 19. The Lord didn't give
you these life experiences to keep to yourself. Write them down and share what
you've learned with others.
Slide 20. Just start.
It doesn't matter how
far behind you feel you are in capturing your personal history. Start
somewhere, and start today.
Make a regular habit
of capturing and collecting current thoughts and memories.
Capture them while
they're still fresh. You can always organize and rearrange your memories
later.
Slide 21. If you've already
used #52Stories to write your personal history, try #52Stories for families.
These weekly questions
will get the conversation going so you and your family can discuss and preserve
your most precious memories. At the end of the year, you’ll have a collection
of the stories that have shaped your family and strengthened your relationships.
And you’ll have it from multiple perspectives!
Slide 22.
Here are some sample questions:
·
What meals would
be in your family's cookbook – the foods that make you feel nostalgic for
your childhood or for home?
·
What are the
most memorable vacations your family has ever taken together?
·
What were the
differences between your dad's side of the family and your mom's side that
had to be reconciled within your nuclear family?
·
What are some of
the inside jokes that no one outside your family understands?
·
How does your
family tend to show their love for one another – acts of service, gifts,
words, humor, hugs, etc.?
Ask your family members one question
each week for a year. Or pick your 12 favorite questions and ask just one per
month.
You can pose each question while
gathered all together, or you can send it out by email or text.
While the questions as written pertain
mostly to your family of origin, you can adapt them to capture family stories
as a parent or grandparent.
It's a great way to gather multiple
perspective as you collect and record family memories.
Bonus: you may also find yourself
strengthening generational bonds and forging a strong family identity.
Slide 23.
Perhaps you've chosen to write a life story about someone else in your family. That's
wonderful! Although there are a lot of similarities to writing a personal
history, there are also some unique challenges.
If you want someone to read it, the
history needs to contain more than just names and dates. People remember
stories. That is what will bring your
ancestors to life.
Slide 24.
Stories are always more engaging than
generalities
Slide 25. Every story is told in moments. A short story, or vignette, will be easy and
quick to read.
Slide 26. Don't stress over, "I've got
to write this BOOK!" One story at a time is much more manageable. And
writing doesn't need to be in chronological order.
If you have a big elephant to eat, is there any rule
about where you take the first bite? The only thing that matters is that you
take a bite, and then another bite, and then another.
Slide 27. So where do you begin to
gather information?
Use Memory Triggers:
Look
through photo albums
Talk with relatives
Visit a place you once lived
Rummage through keepsakes
Answer
questions
You may also find stories in letters,
diaries, school reports... or you may need to play a game!
Slide 28.
At a recent Cardon family reunion we played the Pando game. Everyone was trying to guess what instrument
their grandma Jackie had played in school: piano, violin, cello, flute, recorder
…
Slide 29.
No. She gave them a hint: it starts with
the letter "T": trumpet, timpani,
triangle, trombone, tambourine ... no one could guess that their little old
grandma had played ...
Slide 30. …the tuba! That shocked
everyone!
Later, I asked Jackie more about her tuba playing. She
told me:
In about 5th grade, I thought I wanted to be in the school
band. Several friends were encouraging me. The band leader had only one
instrument left, a great big TUBA! He gave me a few lessons. I had to put the
tuba on a chair next to me and I tried, but the only sounds I could make were
funny and I couldn't stop laughing. Needless to say, I didn't make it into the
band! So when it comes to playing a musical instrument, let's just say
"I tried!"
Those little details make all the difference!
Slide 31. So when you’re writing, be specific.
Add as many details as you can when
sharing a memory.
What evidence would you include to
prove you're telling the truth?
"Grandpa always took very
nice care of things." True.
But it is much more memorable when
you add the detail, "If he used the weed eater, he'd wipe it off and put
it back in the box."
Now
that tells a story about just how careful and meticulous Grandpa was. Not only
did he keep the original box for years and years, he also took the time to wipe
off dirty lawn equipment before putting it away. I can picture him doing
exactly that.
Slide 32. I applaud those of you taking on
the challenge of writing about your ancestors. The fact is, that if a record is
not kept and past on, within a generation or two, most of us will be forgotten.
I've attempted several books about ancestors over the
years and will share just a bit of what I learned.
Slide 33. [show folder] Imagine
summing up your whole life in one paragraph!
That was the case with the
Jurvic/Jaskiewicz history I compiled in 1994.
It includes maps, names and a few
dates, several pictures, and BRIEF life sketches.
What's
sadder still, is that is all that is known about them because they left no
record behind.
Slide 34. Contrast
that with "Highlights from our Heritage" or "Family History
Fun". These books are rich in stories that have been passed down for
generation: stories about the Cardon's conversion to the LDS faith, leaving
their homeland in Italy to cross the plains, the challenges of polygamy,
financial hardships and how they persevered.
The stories are retold at family reunions, and as a result, these
people have become role models for the rising generation.
Slide 35. [Show Bessie book] It can be difficult to
write about someone who is no longer living. I was fortunate that my parents
had interviewed my great-grandma. The challenge is changing technology.
Slide 36. Those interviews were done on large reel to reel tapes –
which may have been hi-tech in their day, but are really hard to come by now.
I'm so glad I took the time to transcribe those interviews decades ago when the
technology was still available. *CLICK*
Later in life, Bessie’s daughter recorded
interviews on cassette tapes which she also transcribed. It was from
these recorded interviews that I was able to harvest a wealth of information to
bring her history to life.
Moral of the story: If you don’t like writing, talk
into a tape recorder. Have someone interview
you. Just be sure to get a written transcript of what was
recorded because technology changes.
*CLICK* The printed word will long outlast any
other medium.
Slide 37. [show Jurvic/Filby book]
It
was much easier to write my grandparents' histories, because they were still
living and I could interview them in person or over the phone. I had lots of
resources at my disposal: letters, diaries, tributes from family and friends,
newspaper articles, military records, and interviews. There is also trivia from the years they were
born and a list of personal favorites.
Slide 38.
[Show Ruth’s book]
My
grandma prefaced her book with the statement, “I made many mistakes in judgment
during my life, but at the time I thought I was doing what was best for the
family. This history contains excerpts
from my life, but is not even close to all of it.”
As I read of the hardships she endured,
Ruth became my hero and I am proud to be her namesake.
At
the time, I thought I was writing this book for Ruth's posterity – the 28
grand-children and 75 great-grandchildren. Imagine my surprise to learn that
after grandma’s dementia set in, she’d read her own history every day. She
didn’t know who that woman was, but she was fascinated by her life. You just
never know who your story will touch.
Slide 39.
[Show Charles Cardon book]
All of these things gave me experience and prepared me
for my largest project to date: The Charles H. Cardon Family History.
Dick's one request was that his wife and each of his 11 children write a
little life history to be included with his since their lives were
intertwined. It is easy to see how this book ended up being 445 pages long!
But
not every history needs to be a hard-bound book...
Slide 40. [Show the Huber Heritage binder.]
For
my parent's 50th wedding anniversary, I compiled three-ring binders for them
and each of their 6 children. This
allows us the flexibility to insert additional information and photos.
In
addition to interviewing my parents, I received input from all my brothers and
sister of their memories growing up. (It's interesting how people will remember
the same event differently!)
I
know a lady who decided to make Christmas gifts out of their family
history. She would write up a one-page
story, with a picture whenever possible, and at the end bear her testimony to
the truths of the principle discussed.
She’d send out maybe 5 or 6 of these a year for her kids to add to their
binder for safe-keeping.
The biggest challenge I find with this format is indexing. Page
numbering is an issue. And if you can't find the information, it is as if it
wasn't included. So perhaps use this format if you are going by topic instead
of chronologically.
Slide 41. My current project is a promise I made to David's angel mother
that I would compile her life history and make 80 copies for her
descendants. I'm taking my own advice to
write up one story at a time!
I'm so grateful Jackie kept journals. If I had waited until the
end of her life to interview her, I'd be writing a very short story indeed!
Slide 42. You don't need to wait until you're old and your life is almost
over before beginning to write your life story.
"Your
story should be written now while it is fresh and while the true details are
available."
Slide 43. Remember, the palest ink is better than the best memory.
I
would probably have nothing written of my teenage years if it wasn’t for my
creative writing teacher assigning us a weekly one-page essay about what was
happening in our lives. Can I just say thank-you to all you teachers out there
who have ever given their students an assignment to write anything about
themselves. It’s probably the only reason I have anything on David’s growing up
years. (Show plastic orange binder.)
Slide 44.
Start to gather your records together.
Where are you keeping this precious information?
·
Just like life histories are not all hard-bound into books, your
memories could be scattered all over your house...
·
My mother kept a wall calendar where she recorded what
we did. Calendars are concise, but kind of like reading a grocery list.
Still it helps me keep track of birthdays and anniversaries.
·
She also sent out annual Christmas letters.
Those "small plates" contain the highlights from each
year. They give a record of our accomplishments and how much the
kids have grown.
·
My mom's weekly e-mails are like journals that you can go digging
through in search of gold nuggets.
·
Perhaps some of you blog. The thing I like about blogs
is that you can search by key word. That's much faster than reading
through a shelf full of binders looking for a specific event.
·
Maybe some of you like to make homemade videos...California
Cardons was made for a family reunion in 2004 to show everyone what life was
like for our family after we moved to California for David to take a job with
the IRS. If we have time at the end of class, remind me and I'll see if I can
pull it up for you! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iK6jAzTCzM&t=1s (length 3:55 minutes)
Slide 45.
I love to scrapbook!
One wall of my family history room
is dedicated to photo albums!
Photography
allows you to relive moments in a glance.
[show
mini albums] While I have big, yearly family albums, I've also created smaller
books for the children around a specific theme: ABC, 123, seasons,
anniversaries, travel, etc.
Slide 46.
On another wall in my family history room, I have bookcases containing the
written accounts. These would include
things like emails, journal entries, family newsletters, etc. It's a nice little collection...
Slide 47.
But it is nothing compared to my parents! Their collection of genealogy records
are grouped by surname. In 2017, they
had 166 binders!
Moral
of the story: reach out to relatives if you need additional information...
Slide 48. At
the heart of my family history is my computer.
I just love how I can cut, paste, and copy at a computer. I can type much faster than I can write with
a pen and paper. I can also share what I
have with other family members. The computer is your friend.
Slide 49. For tonight, I'd just like you to
respond to a writing prompt. You can type an email to yourself. You can write
with pencil and paper. You can go downstairs and do an audio recording. But take the next 15 minutes to write:
"Tell about a time you didn't
think you'd make it."
This
doesn't need to be a near-death experience.
Perhaps you weren't going to make it academically or financially. Your
still with us today, so how did you pull through? Talking about the hard stuff
can be healing.
Slide 50:
What is it worth?
Thanks for participating in that
little exercise. You've just begun to treasure up the events of your life. That
first story is your first golden nugget. Reflect for just a moment on what it's
worth...
How much would you pay to get your
life history back again if your computer crashed?
What would you do if you no longer
had access to your blog?
What if your digital pictures were
accidentally deleted?
Or your home was flooded and you
lost all of your hand-written journals?
I have lived through all of these
events. That is why I'm so passionate
about histories and preserving them. The more copies that are available, the
more likely the information will survive.
I have also begun to upload
memories to FamilySearch – be it stories, photos, documents, or audio
recordings. (Sorry, they don't do video!) We will be talking more about how to
do that in a future class.
Remember,
"To the world you may be only one person, but to one person you may be the
world."
Additional Resources: "My Life Story: Thoughtful Questions to Tell Your Story or interview someone you love." - Written by Rhonda Lauritzen and Rachel J. Trotter
"Hold to the idea that maybe someone WILL read it. And also prepare yourself, that maybe no one will."
