tell me a story - wheretonowdotme.files.wordpress.com€¦ · tell me a story prompts for recording...
TRANSCRIPT
Tellmea
story
Afamilyhistory
workbook
by
DonnaJ.Weathers
Tellmeastory
Promptsforrecording
yourfamilyhistory
by
DonnaJ.Weathers
Copyright2016DonnaJ.Weathers
LaGrange,Ga
Reproductionofthisebookinit'sentirety
isallowed.Reproductionofpartsorpieces
orindividualimagesisnotallowed.
Authorphotoby
ChristianZubernis,Atlanta,Ga.
WhyBenches?
IneverrealizedhowoftenI
wouldstopandsnappicturesof
emptybenches.Itwasnevera
thingIsetouttodo,but
somethingthatapparently
happenedmoreoftenthanI
realized.Lookingbackthrough
thousandsofimages,thereare
LOTSofemptybenches.Some
wereoddlyperchedonahillside,
sometoooldandwonkytoeven
considersittingon,somefancy
andornateandothersjustplain
andfunctional.Afew,asyouwill
see,werealsonotactually
benches.Buteachonewasacall
tojuststopandsitandbestill
andlisten.Tostoprushing
aroundtowhereverIthoughtI
neededtobejustthenand
appreciatewhereIwasinthat
moment.
Benchesseemedafittingtheme
forgraphicstoaccompanya
workbookaboutcapturingfamily
history.Toooften,ourvisitswith
olderfamilymembersarerushed
andotherwisefocusedona
holidayorcelebration–allgreat
things,butwhenisthelasttime
youjustsatandaskedaquestion,
thenlistenedtotheanswer?Sure,
therewereplentyoftimesIsat
onGrandma'sfrontporchinthe
swingandlistened(ornot)asshe
prattledonandonaboutpeopleI
didn'tknow.Youthisacaptive,
butinattentive,audience.Now
thatI'molderIcravethe
informationandtheconnection.
Everygenealogywebsiteand
familyhistory“how-to”willtell
youthesamething:Askthe
questions.But,let'sfaceit,it’san
awkwardthingto“interview”
yourgrandparentsafterignoring
their“stories”foryears,right?I
don’tliketheideaofaninterview.
Itseemsclinicalandformal.
Myhopeisthisbookcanbeused
asaconversationstarter.There
arethousandsofquestionsyou
canaskandeachresponseisas
importantasthelast.Thereare
nowrongquestions.Printthe
PDFandrecordnotesonthe
pagesprovided,orjustreadthe
questionsanduseavoice
recorderapponyoursmart
phonetocapturetheresponses.
Sitwithaparentorgrandparent
torecordtheirreplies,or
completeityourselfasagiftto
yourchildren.Giveaboundcopy
asagifttoalovedoneandask
themtowriteintheirreplies.Or,
don’tdoanyofthosethings,but
justsitonthefrontporch,orona
parkbench,oratthebusstop,or
onabeachwalkandjustlisten.
Hereareafewadditionaltipsand
suggestions:
·Atthebeginningofthe
recording,askthepersontheir
nameandthedate.Includeyour
nameandrelationshipaswell.
·Asyouaskquestions,include
specificplacepromptsandproper
namestohelpyournoteslater.
·Don’tinterrupt.Jotdownany
questionsyouhaveandsave
themforafteryoursubjectis
doneretellingtheirmemory.
·Lastly,SHAREwhatyoufind.
Usingafamilytreeprogram,an
onlinebookgenerator,orsocial
media–sharethememorieswith
yourfamily.
What'syourfirstmemory?
Who'stheoldestrelativeyouremember(andwhatdoyou
rememberabouthimorher)?
Howdidyourparentsmeet?
Describeyourchildhoodhome.
_______________________________________
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Howdidyourfamilycelebrateholidays
whenyouwereachild?
_______________________________________
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Whoweresomeofyourchildhoodfriends?
Describeyourfirstjob.
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Whatdidyoudowithyourfirstpaycheck?
Whatwasyourfavoritejobandwhy?
_______________________________________
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Howdidyoumeetyourspouse?
Describeyourweddingday.
_______________________________________
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Whatdoyourecallaboutthedayyourfirstchildwasborn?
_______________________________________
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Whoaresomeofyourheroes?
WherewereyouwhenyouheardthatPresidentKennedy
wasshot?(Orotherimportanthistoricalevents.)
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Howdidyourfamilycelebratespecialmilestonesorevents
suchasbirthdays,awards,oraccomplishments?
_______________________________________
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Namesomeofyourfavoritesongs(orbooks,moviesand
televisionshows).
Wherearesomeoftheplaceswhereyou'vebeenhappiest?
_______________________________________
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Whatelsewouldyouliketosharethathasn'tbeenasked?
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
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DonnaWeathershasbeenhunting
deadpeopleforover25years.What
startedasahigh-schoolprojectslowly
evolvedintoalifelongcallingwell-
suitedtoheranalystmindand
wanderlustheart.Shehasdoneon-
locationresearchinNewYork,
Connecticut,MichiganandGeorgia
andhasdevelopedastrongworking
relationshipwithalibraryhistorianin
Bergen,Norway.
Foranecdotesofhertravelsand
genealogyescapadesvisitherblogat
WhereToNow
IfyouwouldlikeDonna'shelpwith
yourownfamilytree,contactbyemail.
Tellmea
story
Afamilyhistory
workbook
by
DonnaJ.Weathers