National Day of Listening - November 28, 2014

The National Day of Listening on November 28, 2014, is one day set aside to remind us to listen, to record for posterity, something important to us, to our family, to interested others. This of all the Oral History programs going on today, and what they can do to make our tomorrows better.

I often write of recording and sharing Family History stories. Have you recorded the voices of your family elders telling family stories? This is the perfect time to do this. What better time, when family is together around the Christmas and New Year's family gatherings - to Listen, and record, stories of your family.

StoryCorps.org, one of the coordinators of activities of the National observance, for 2014, is recording stories of active military personnel, veterans, and their families. Is this something that you should become a part of? Give it some consideration.

The image is of my professional level audio recorder with which I have personally gathered oral history recordings for several projects. Join me this year in this effort.

Do you have an audio recorder?

In addition to veterans and activie military personell!

All of you who read me regular know I will say - gather family stories! Well this is one source, in the photo image of my grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather - would I love to have done interviews with each of them!

Of course, you have the opportunity, in most cases, to interview, ask questions, and record them, of your father, your grandfather, and perhaps, your great-grandfather, if you are really lucky. What will you ask? Will you let them talk, and tell you stories of their youth?

Having a few old photos, perhaps of their youth, will really get them to talking. Have you had success with this?

She really said that to her husband, John Adams! ;-)

Wouldn't you like to interview and get the stories of these ladies. One settled a ranch in western Kansas when there were only very few people there, at all. What is comparable among your older aunts, today? Do they recall events in World War II? Do they recall rationing, working in factories while their husbands were off to war? Even Korean and Vietnam periods of history are slipping away! Did they vote regularly? Where there problems?

What was it like to raise children in the early years? Did they go to church? Did they go to college? Get that information recorded this year, on the National Day of Listening!