A few years ago I decided it would be a good idea to get my grandparents to write their memoirs. It took a lot of hassling them, but finally they gave in and began writing their stories. A few months later my Grandma died. She had penned a couple of pages which, written in her old-fashioned way, were amazing. Its quite sad that now I have remarkably few images and next-to-no knowledge of what her life was like.A blog/flickr mix of the histories of the elderly would be a great project for any library and its customers. The photo I chose reminded me that I must start digitizing my grandpas story.
That's a fantastic idea! A few weeks ago I had a chat over the phone with my Grandmother asking about her parents and grandparents names. I might have her to write down a few things as well. Cheers, Fred
ReplyDeleteHi Adrian,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your post - it is a great idea!
Happy postings...
Listen to their stories - I so regret switching off when my parents or grandparents told stories of their early lives - my Dad's stories of sailing from Albany to South Africa way back in 1914 or when he described so many dead people being carried away in horse carts during the great flu epidemic are just vague memories
ReplyDeleteI love that you perservered with your grandparents until they finally started writing their personal histories.
ReplyDeleteWe always seem to have an excuse ...I'm too busy ... they're still young so there's plenty of time ... my life isn't important or interesting ... but it's the personal histories that shape and give body to the social, political and economic histories.
Find the time to digitize your Grandpa's story -your kids will love it (and you!)
Hello Adrian,
ReplyDeleteWhat's the picture that your Grandma's holding? It looks fascinating.