Have you made your memoir yet?

Jo Stickel

Jo Stickel

New Member
Location
San Diego
Hello again! My friend posted this video on Facebook. It is a video-memoir of a man's interesting childhood in the 1940s and 1950s! The company that he made it through makes memoirs, not written, but in film form. I hadn't thought of this before--I started writing my memoir years ago but never got around to finishing it--I can bring myself to write for long periods, so that is why I like this video idea so much! What do you think? Have you made a memoir?
 

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RadishRose said:
No, I've never intended to. Unless the writer is famous, memoirs are not usually as interesting as people think, imo.
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What about in order to pass along a family's history through the generations? I wish I could read a history of my grandfather and grandmother, who were immigrants.
 

I have great kids but for some reason they don't seem to be interested in their roots. They are bored with my stories. I loved listening to my family tell their stories many of which I've heard over and over. If I were to do a memoir I would write instead of filming it only because I would feel uncomfortable with a camera in front of me.
For now I've been going through the family photos and labeling them carefully. Someday the kids might change their minds and at least then they will know who was who.
 
My situation is similar to @Ruth n Jersey.

I enjoyed learning about my family and treasure the memories of the conversations I had with parents, grandparents, and interesting old folks that I've met along the way.

My family has expressed no interest in learning about my life or my memories and that's ok with me.

If they ask I'll answer but I don't volunteer much information about the past and how it shaped my life.

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I don't know why it happens, but kids don't really want to know about Uncle Freddie, or Aunt Pearl or any family history. Until they have kids, and feel the march of time- when it's too late. My dad spent part of his childhood in an orphanage. I knew that fact when he was alive, but it never dawned on me to ask why. I guess it's hard to fathom that your parents aren't immortal. They will always be there.
 
It's something that I've wanted to do but haven't really started to do. What I'd really enjoy is some sort of online website where people share portions of their life in something like this forum but with the purpose of preserving it so that it can be shared with others. I'd be interesting in writing about the things that were important to me and shaped me and also learn about how other people's lives helped shape them.

I know I really wish I had something like that from my grandparents. One of my great aunts (through marriage) wrote a lot of articles about a certain area of Canada where she and her husband grew up and lived. I really enjoy reading some of her stories because she included information about my great grandfather so I know a lot more about him.

For those who's kids aren't that interested it's possible that your grandchildren will be interested. I know my parent's rarely talked about their parents when I was growing up and there's a lot I learned about my past in my adulthood rather than having it be part of my family knowledge when I was growing up. A paternal great grandfather lived until I was 7 1/2 but I never met him and my father never really talked about him. I really feel I missed out.
 
Before my mother died, I helped her put together her favorite recipes in a cookbook, then I helped her sister do the same thing. With that much experience, I put my own cookbook together. They were just for family, but there are interesting tidbits of family history in each one. During the holidays especially, those cookbooks come out to find the old family favorites.

The year my father would have been 100 years old, I put together a book of his life by the decades and included the available pictures. Each chapter began with what was going on in the world during that decade. Then, his life story would intertwine with those comments. My father was at Omaha Beach, I didn't realize that until after his death and I saw his 214. I wish he had talked to me more about that time. My family contributed to my father's book, so it wasn't just ME writing his story.

I like the video concept, but that person has an excellent voice and a developed sense of presentation.
 
There's a difference between a memoir and an autobiography. A memoir takes a snapshot of your life. A moment, a theme. The autobiography describes all of your life. So writing a memoir is easier because you just focus on something in your life that was really important to you. It's more manageable and you don't have to share parts of your life you don't want to share.

For example, you could write about your youth and the highlights from that time. Or you could write about your travels. Or you could write about your education, work, hobbies, etc. By focusing on that theme, you could capture quite a bit in a shorter amount of time. Also, who remembers everything that has happened in their lives? I don't. I don't remember what someone told me a few days ago, or what I ate a week ago. But I do have images of things I experienced years ago that I still remember, like my first day in kindergarten and I couldn't speak English and cried, or the time JFK got shot and I arrived home from school to see my mother crying in front of the TV as she heard the news. I remember the time my little sister fell from the slides and I had to carry her home, or when children chased us home from school. Images that are strong in your mind - those are what you write about.
 
Thanks Jo Stickel,

I really like the idea of putting it on Video vs writing for several reasons. Funny, I never really considered it for normal folks....ha !

It is easy to do is the main reason.
 
bowmore said:
My life really started to look up when I met my present wife. I had spent the previous 12 years of a 30 year marriage as caregiver to my late wife, who was brain injured.
My present wife said she wanted to travel, and here are the stories:
www.stevekathytravels.com
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That's impressive! I see you're Princess fans. Good Cruise Company!
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I've done the Paul Gauguin Tahiti trip as well - really nice cruise!
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bowmore said:
My life really started to look up when I met my present wife. I had spent the previous 12 years of a 30 year marriage as caregiver to my late wife, who was brain injured.
My present wife said she wanted to travel, and here are the stories:
www.stevekathytravels.com
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Doesn't travel really enhance your life? I was with a cruise line owned by Carnival Corp, that actually owns Princess, prior to Covid. The pandemic really kneecapped the cruise industry, so I retired. Good to see the cruise industry is coming back.

We took a cruise to the Greek Isles in September and it felt like the best vacation we've ever had after no traveling for a year and a half. I feel so fortunate to have visited so many countries. Our best cruise was to Vietnam/Thailand. Visiting school children in Cambodia who were so proud to pronounce the alphabet in English was in itself a life-changing experience. It changes your perspective in so many ways.

As for a memoir or autobiography, I think I've posted the whole thing in various forums. Sometimes I tend to overshare. ;)
 
I started about 20 years ago. Then I realized that nobody was interested. It's residing on a thumb drive which I am sure will be tossed out with the other junk when I croak.
 


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