The irony of historical records is that they record the remarkable; birthday parties, weddings and the occasional end of a long war. But where is the banal? I want to see the workshops, the transport station and the everyday goings on that represent the great bulk of people's lives.
That's a good argument for why we should all be keeping journals and writing about our everyday lives. It may seem boring to us but it could be a goldmine to future generations.
The biggest story we forget to tell is our own. I recently asked my kids what was my first job when I left school and neither of them knew the answer that’s because we never had that conversation - the most important family history story that you can ever tell is your own.
My husband and I have a large handwritten book which we have kept since 1987 ... Actually we are on the second book now. It records various events ... children's milestones, family holidays and various other happenings ... And we have lots of videos and photos to go with it.
The irony of historical records is that they record the remarkable; birthday parties, weddings and the occasional end of a long war. But where is the banal? I want to see the workshops, the transport station and the everyday goings on that represent the great bulk of people's lives.
Every day life is inherently difficult to document unfortunately
That's a good argument for why we should all be keeping journals and writing about our everyday lives. It may seem boring to us but it could be a goldmine to future generations.
The biggest story we forget to tell is our own. I recently asked my kids what was my first job when I left school and neither of them knew the answer that’s because we never had that conversation - the most important family history story that you can ever tell is your own.
Photos. Videos. And also write.
You’re doing a fantastic job Jane preserving the diaries and journals for those that follow you. Your descendants will be eternally grateful.
My husband and I have a large handwritten book which we have kept since 1987 ... Actually we are on the second book now. It records various events ... children's milestones, family holidays and various other happenings ... And we have lots of videos and photos to go with it.
If only I had done something similar Jane sounds exactly the right thing to do
I have been scanning them and PDF-ing by year. The next thing I need to do is upload them to my WeAredotxyz family history archive.
Your great grandchildren will treasure that. And also some history nerd down at the local historical society. LOL