wine on the keyboard

Life Stories

by Kay~Kacey on 10/7/2009

Life stories. Those little tidbits of life that get forgotten over time. The big moments retold again and again. The happy memories, the sad ones. Do any of you write down your life stories or keep a journal?

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My grandfather wrote down his life story, about when he was a young boy, meeting my grandmother, having kids, his work. It’s a wonderful way for future generations to get a feel for what life was like back then. A way to engrave the stories for future generations to enjoy. To laugh, to cry.

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He wrote about the quiet days in a small town. I am so thankful he typed these all out. See the old manual typewriter printing on these? Don’t you just love the look of old typewriters? My grandfather has been gone for many, many years…but his stories live on.

Not to be outdone…
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for my parent’s 50th wedding anniversary, my father wrote down the story of meeting my mom. He even went around and took photos of places they went to. Like here, where they had their first date. How cool is that? We now have the story of their courtship, wedding (and honeymoon…as least as much as any child wants to know about their parents’ honeymoon!). My father is a very funny man, with a dry, wry wit…his stories just crack me up every time I reread them.

So, I’ve been thinking of writing down some of the stories of my life. Then, I got to thinking, that this blog IS the story of my life. The little moments. The big events. The holidays. The happy times. The sad times. Here for generations to come to read and know what our family was like. What my life was like. Grandchildren and great grandchildren can read this, just like my grandfather’s life story.

Seriously, how cool are blogs? You get to meet some great people, share your life and thoughts, and preserve them for future generations. If I were organized, I’d pull some of the family posts out and get them printed. If I were organized…

I’m thinking of adding a category to the blog…with some cool name that I haven’t come up with yet…to tell some stories of my past. Things that happened growing up. Random moments that changed me and made me who I am. Oh, and the story of how I met SuperGuy. So stay tuned for future chapters of my life story!

Has anyone in your family written down their life story? Did you keep a diary growing up? Do you still? Is your blog your journal, or do you keep a personal, hidden one?

KateS October 7, 2009 at 6:09 am

Oh – I love the SuperGuy story!! :love: Shall look forward to that!

One of my favorite keepsakes is a Grandmother Remembers book I gave my grandma one year for Christmas and told her she was to give it back to me all filled out the next. It’s unreplaceable.

Tina L October 7, 2009 at 6:55 am

My blog is still in it’s infancy and doesn’t know what it wants to be when it grows up. Currently it houses some posts about books that I have read and want to read. I never kept a diary but the blog as a journal idea sounds good to me though. I might have to ponder on that.

My maternal grandmother kept a diary over a period of many many years. When she passed those diaries got dispersed. My aunt had several of them in her house to trascribe when her house burned. We all mourn the loss of those years of written history. I own two years of the surviving diaries and her handwritten cookbook. I treasure those books.

My Dad just recently wrote a book. It is a collection of short stories about him and his siblings during their “growing up” years. It has recollections of some of his ancesters and also many fun stories of the escapades that he and his siblings had as children. He wrote it as a memoir for his children and grandchildren. I have a post on my blog about it and here is a link to a review by a local newspaper http://www.register-news.com/local/local_story_158200013.html

Jeanne Klaver October 7, 2009 at 8:24 am

Oh what a gift from your father! I would love to read some of your life stories. My dad went blind before he died (had diabetes), but left his stories on cassette tapes. It’s nice because we have his voice, but I’m getting ready to convert them since tapes deteriorate over time. I do keep a journal, but writing life stories seems much “functional.” My children may not want to know these things right now, but if they’re anything like so many of us they will as they grow. Thank you for sharing.

Jan October 7, 2009 at 9:12 am

I’ve lived such a atypical life, that I don’t write much down. Don’t want to have everyone know my business.

annbb October 7, 2009 at 10:40 am

I swear I could never write my life story – how do people remember their past in such detail? I can’t.

I really write my blog for my mom. It’s snippets, mostly new, some recollections of the past, of life around me and my own. I certainly hope blogger is around for a long long time – I’d hate to lose what I’ve authored this past year and a half.

How wonderful you have your grandfather’s and your father’s words.

annbb October 7, 2009 at 10:41 am

Oh, and on the days I don’t post? I always get a call from mom to see if all is ok. 😉

Katie L October 7, 2009 at 11:47 am

I’m so excited to hear some of your stories!! GREAT idea! :beer:

Cathy M October 8, 2009 at 6:46 am

I decided to write the history of my family after my mother (the last of her generation died). I really should have done it sooner, she could have filled in some of the details. I’m still working on it, now I’m trying to edit it for my niece and nephew (my brother’s kids) so they know more about their father’s life.

Kate October 18, 2009 at 3:27 pm

Two summers ago, I spent several days with my father, caring for him while my sister and her family were away. Every day, he would tell me stories, and I began to write them down.
When he passed away last October, I compiled the story I had done and sent it to all my brothers and sisters as a Christmas gift. Some of them couldn’t even read it. I don’t know why because it was good stuff, man! I think it made them cry.
Yeah, my blog is the story but I don’t tell all on it. I keep a private bitch journal on my computer that only I read. It just has bad crap on it and who needs that?

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