pastime in North America and many other parts of the world. Largely thanks to the Internet, enthusiasts are almost obsessively researching their roots and discovering their lineage. At the time of writing this book, the Ancestry.com and Ancestry.ca websites have more than one million members and hundreds of thousands of forums. Television programs like Ancestors in the Attic and Who Do You Think You Are? attract millions of viewers. And following close on the heels of genealogy is the incredibly popular hobby of scrapbooking. All these trends — memoirs, genealogy, and scrapbooking — are about capturing “momentous memories”: the moments and times of our lives that are meant to be shared with those close to us, now and in the future.
But what’s behind this phenomenon?
2.3 Honoring the past in a rapidly changing world
With technology changing our world so rapidly, we are realizing the need to capture the “old ways” — before everyone forgets what they were like. We’re honoring the past like never before, and are hungry for firsthand accounts of people who were there and who themselves are living history. Before they pass away and their stories are lost forever, we are interviewing and recording Holocaust survivors, war veterans, refugees, workers whose jobs are disappearing, and others. Their stories are being preserved in hundreds of institutions, museums, and archives and produced in documentaries, movies, television programs, and books.
The stories behind heritage buildings and objects are gaining respect, too. If you watch Antiques Roadshow, you’ve probably noticed how the value skyrockets when the item has a story behind it. Buyers are willing to pay handsomely for “provenance,” which refers to an object’s origin, because it gives the item authenticity and a place in history. Auctioneers have known and capitalized on this for years.
It’s happening in the business world, too, as more and more corporations honor their history, appeal to nostalgia, and leverage their stories. Grainy black and white photos of the first hamburger stand or gas station abound in advertisements. Some personal historians specialize in corporate history books, which because of their scope and high quality can easily run upward of $40,000 and well beyond — a lucrative niche market.
Part of the reason we are getting better at documenting our history is because it’s easier to do so, thanks to the Internet; digital cameras and recorders; and computers and software programs. It’s ironic that advancements in technology are fostering this passion for preserving the past.
2.4 The need for story
It’s getting easier and faster to tell each other what’s happening in our lives through email, Twitter, Facebook, text messaging, blogging, camera phones, etc., but many feel the “soul” has gone out of our communication. Most of it is brief, fleeting, cut-to-the-chase, and lacks the contemplation and careful composition that handwritten letters have. And much of it is lost forever in cyberspace. We’re storing thousands of digital photos on our computers and CDs or DVDs, but what happens when the computer crashes or a particular piece of equipment becomes obsolete? The moments are being captured, but will they be preserved for the future? Will they be remembered? And what about the stories behind the photos?
People are craving meaningful connections — to ourselves, to each other, and to our roots and our future — and personal stories are a big part of that.
2.4a Once upon a (life) time: The power and endurance of story
Why is a life story a priceless gift for families, and for the storyteller? The world of personal histories is all about story, so let’s start with one:
One day, an anthropologist who was staying with and studying a primitive African tribe wanted to see what effect a television would have on the society, so he brought one into the village and hooked it up. People gathered around the TV day and night, staring in wonder. But after a few days, they drifted away and took up their regular daily routines again and largely ignored the talking box.
The anthropologist was puzzled.
“Aren’t you interested in the TV?” he asked.
A tribesman said, “Yes, it’s very nice, but you see, we have our own storyteller.”
“Yes,” said the anthropologist, “but the TV knows many more stories than your storyteller.”
“That may be true,” said the tribesman, “but our storyteller knows us.”
Though the term “personal history” may be relatively new, it is really an extension of an ancient tradition of telling — and listening to — stories of our “tribes”: those closest to us. Those are the stories that resonate the loudest because they tell us where we’ve come from and help us understand ourselves. They provide context, connection, and continuity in a world that is increasingly busy and disconnected.
Storytelling is in our souls. For thousands of years, the elders of a family or society have used stories to teach, entertain, pass along wisdom, explain the world, share joy and heartache, and to preserve the history of the society, which was sometimes necessary for survival. Cave dwellers carved pictures of the hunt, and Egyptians saved recipes with hieroglyphics. Graffiti is the modern-day equivalent of “Kilroy was here.” As cavemen, we used to share stories sitting around the fire. More recently, we’d sit around the supper table, and not that long ago, it was common to have three generations living together. Our society is in danger of losing the passing along of wisdom and experiences from generations. As well, because of the distractions of computers, TVs, and video games, we’re a much more mobile and fractured society. People move away, parents divorce, and grandparents may not have the opportunity to verbally pass along family traditions, wisdom, and experience.
2.4b The magical bond created by storyteller and listener
No one will deny the immeasurable satisfaction of writing your memoirs, but it can be a daunting task, and not everyone has the skill, time, or physical and mental ability. Most people want to document their lives somehow but never get around to it, simply because it is so overwhelming. A personal historian can ensure everyone has the opportunity to save their stories, because almost everyone can talk. Telling, as opposed to writing, is a natural, easy-flowing way to express oneself; it’s faster; and the storyteller doesn’t have to worry about grammar, punctuation, paragraph breaks, and all those writerly concerns, as the storyteller can just talk as the personal historian records what he or she says and can write it down later.
Most important, there is an interested audience. One-on-one, the narrator talks about his or her life while the personal historian assumes the most important of tasks: listening. As the listener — the keeper of the stories — you hold a position of great honor and trust. Your client is counting on you to understand and interpret his or her stories, some of which he or she may never have breathed a word about before sitting down with you. This creates a real bond between you and the narrator. At the best of times, it’s nothing less than a spiritual experience, as you share the drama, depth, and humanity of the moments. Emotions often run high, on both sides.
This special relationship is among the many rewards of being a personal historian. Most of your clients will agree that it’s far more appealing than sitting alone at a computer staring at a blank screen.
2.5 Mind, body, and spirit
2.5a The baby boomers and memoirs
It’s no accident that the surge of interest in journaling,
