Most of your genealogy research is going to involve searching for information about your ancestors and your living relatives. It is about filling in the missing gaps in your family tree. In short, it is about finding information about other people, but not yourself. However, there are some excellent reasons why you should take the time to write down your own life experiences. Make sure you set aside time to do it.
Not enough people take the time to make a record of their own experiences. It’s very easy to assume that your life isn’t all that interesting, or that you don’t have anything valuable to say. Not true! Think about how exciting it is to find a letter that was written by one of your ancestors. It’s wonderful to find a journal, or diary, that an ancestor kept. Even little details about your day to day life are going to be interesting to your future descendants. Writing down your life stories is a great way to leave a legacy for future generations to discover.
While it is possible to record your personal stories in audio or video format, it’s still a good idea to go ahead and make a written transcript of those stories. Right now, it’s much easier for libraries, and other sources that store archival information, do save things in written format. Stories that have been handed down orally, from one generation to another, are great. But, stories transmitted by word of mouth tend to change over time, while written stories are “set in stone”, so to speak.
Not sure where to begin with your life story? You might find it easiest to write short stories, based on a specific incident or time period. If you served in the military, your descendants will want to know which branch you joined, the rank you earned, and some of your experiences. Where were you when the first plane hit the World Trade Center on 9/11? What were you thinking as the second one hit? Who was with you? What happened in the days following 9/11 where you lived? These are the kinds of things that future generations will want to hear.
Image by John Norton on Flickr