Tuesday, August 2, 2016

In Black and White and Read

 “If it is not recorded it only takes three generations to forget a loved one.”  Write it down so it can be in black and white and read.  (See Oral Family History Fades in Just Three Generations.) 

Keep a Journal 
Your Journal is your personal history and testimony of you life so far. It is your record—sort of like Nephi’s record of himself and his family and people.”

"Perhaps one reason our parents love us as much as they do is that they saw our early histories developing. They lived through our fevers as babies, our struggles with school and friends, our adolescent triumphs and despairs. Although we have not been as much a part of our parents’ early histories, we can share with them their remembered childhood feelings and experiences through oral or written records of them as children. As we come to see our parents as people—as individuals, not just as mom or dad—we come to understand and appreciate them more". (Hidden Benefits of Keeping a History, Gawain and Gayle J. Wells, July 1986.)
Dancing Shoes
C, L, D
I wanted to grow up to be a ballerina. When I was three maybe four years old I was taking a dance class at the University of Utah. My dad would take me to the library with him. He would study for his masters classes and I would draw on a magic slate. When it was time I  would walk to my dance class just across the grass from the library to the P.E. building.  One Saturday the teacher lead us through a locker room and I was left behind. All alone it was like a bad dream.  Even now more than 60 years later.  I remember looking up at rows and rows of tall lockers and door knobs I couldn't reach. I couldn't find my way out.  I thought all the doors were locked.  I found a stairway that lead to a door I opened and saw there was an older dance class in progress. Afraid to interrupt I waited until the class was over to make my escape. When I got home I told my mother I didn't want to take dance any more. When she asked why I said I would rather watch the Fairy Princess show on Saturday morning television. My mother didn’t ever know what happened.  After that I was sent to a neighbors house for a couple weeks, it was me and the her two daughters, I don't remember any dance class structure. One Christmas I get a beautiful long yellow ballerina dress it had a satin top with sequins and puffy tulle skirt. I wore it out. A few years latter my older sister was taking piano so mother sent the other three of us to took a tap class with Virginia Tanner.  We got our picture taken but could not afford the costumes to be in the recital.  
(Keeping a journal my way is to write a memory in a paragraph or a page. Add a title and a photo.  Post it on our private family blog and print it out  and put it in my personal history binder. Memories come to me during Sacrament meeting I need to write more of them down.)


"Just a couple sentences every couple days would give your descendants a picture of yourself they wouldn't other wise have, but a journal is not just four our descendants; it is for all of us to live and grow spiritually and receive revelation from the Lord." (Keeping a Journal Your Way, Tara Walker, Ensign July 2014.)

Ways to Record your Story
Traditional Journals
Online Journals
Blogs
Scrapbooks
Photo Journals
Audio Journals
Video journals

No comments: