Your personal history and the history of a loved one, community or organization can be shared in a way that will leave a lasting legacy. The process of saving your story often starts out with the a desire to document and share family values and lessons, and though we all seem to ask the same questions the results can be as varied and unique as the stories themselves.
Along this line, I often get asked about wedding videos and the best way to tell a love story. (side bar: I do not film wedding videos – but as a lover of documenting stories I love that people want to have their special day recorded) The hard true here is that you want to tell a story. Whether it’s a wedding day, a bar mitzvah or funeral montage, getting to know the hows and whys and finding a way to creatively share that story will create a meaningful personal history.
What is Personal History?
Documenting a life’s story takes many forms. The art of preserving memories, voices and images takes what is often an overwhelming project and turns it into a focused story.
I love the image for this post. It is a picture of my parents when they were three. I mean, how cute are they?! I remember finding it hidden away in an old family photo album and thinking why isn’t this framed. My parents have essentially been together since birth. And they are still together. Still trying to raise us. And every time I think of them, it is this picture, with their “The Little Rascals” arms around each other that always comes to mind.
Your personal story is about taking these moments and creating a tangible memory for future generations. We know that everyone has a story. More than one story. A few years ago I was waiting for a friend outside a movie theater when a women came up and asked for directions. We got to talking. She was in town for the annual meeting of World Wings International, an organization of Pan Am flight attendants. As a former flight attendant, and in the spirit of being surrounded by her own legacy, she shared amazing stories of the people she met and the historic moments she witnessed. Right there on a street corner in Savannah Georgia. As she stepped away onto her original destination, I thought about all the stories I pass all day everyday…
Personal History Ideas
There are plenty of ways to record personal history stories:
- Writings
- Audio Recordings
- Video
- Family trees
- Timelines
- Online websites
- Social media pages (although I’d recommend a site that you have ownership over)
- Cookbooks
- Quilts
- Time Capsules
Let us know some of the ideas you have.
Blueskies,
Tami