pERSONAL LIFE STORIES
The Inside Story
We all have inside stories, stories that tell who we are, where we came from, the people we knew, the places we frequented, the things we did, the great events we witnessed, the funny and tragic things that happened along the way, the dramatic events that defined our lives, the paths that we could have taken, but didn’t.
Those are the moments that shaped our destiny—and, often, the destiny of others.
As poet James Russell Lowell said, “It’s not what we give, but what we share, for the gift without the giver is bare.” The greatest gift we can offer our family, friends, and future generations is the gift of ourselves. To do that, we need to tell and preserve our special stories so children and grandchildren, neighbors and future historians will understand what it was like to be us, in our unique time and place. A time and place that no longer exist.
Let THE INSIDE STORY do the work for you.
How does THE INSIDE STORY work?
* By helping you decide what stories should be preserved.
- By interviewing you, asking the right questions.
- By accurately transcribing what you want to say, in the way you say it.
- By writing your stories and helping you publish them.
- By preserving the story of your life in book form and on tape (optional).
- By discussing what people and what historical organizations might benefit from reading your stories.
The stories you should tell are many:
The story of my family—Genealogical and anecdotal
In the beginning—When and where you were born, parents, grandparents, siblings, financial condition, world condition, the place.
The good old days
School days & coming of age
Friends & Foes
Family traditions
My homes
People who made a difference
First Love
Last Love
Courtship & Marriage
Children
Jobs/Careers
The Depression
Wars
Religious beliefs
The best years of my life
The saddest years of my life
Changes in me
The best gift I ever received
The saddest thing that ever happened
The happiest, most exciting thing to happen
Secrets
Skeletons in the closet
Accomplishments
Words of wisdom
The best advice I ever received
How I feel about aging and death
The “theme” of my life