history

Putting Life in Your Life Story

January 11th, 2010 |

Author: admin

I recently taught a class on writing your personal history. This article by Elaine Cannon is the most practical and the most simple way to get started.

1. All you need is a spiral notebook and a pen. (Or, as Elaine suggests below, use a journal with high quality paper so it will last. You can find loose leaf, lined, 3-hole punched journal paper for this project. This would allow you to put the paper in a 3-hole binder and add to your subjects if you find you have more to write than you can fit on one page. This would also allow you to add photos and documents for that topic.)

2. To start, just write the name of each topic at the top of the page. You’ll see topic suggestions below. Feel free to add others as you go along.

3. Next, go back and write one sentence about each topic.

4. Next, add to each page as the memories start to flow.

You’ll be surprised how many things come to mind once you start writing. This is a project that may never be complete, but because you have your notebook divided by subject, you can always add to it.

Joyce Moseley Pierce

Putting life in your life story

And if there were no word about this living, no wonder at the beginning and no understanding at the end, what’s it all about? Yet if there is a record…The woman was seventy-two when she died. At her funeral someone read the details of her birth recorded in joy by her mother. At the end of her life here was proof and perspective about the beginning, about the reaching and helping and brightening of her seasons. At this dying a kind of resurrection, for the whole family loved their sister and each other anew. A written line or two became their lifeline – the dry farm, the small store mother kept, the loved ones at Christmas or at daily prayer, the father’s Sunday ritual, the hard times, the faithful times, the laughing times and the struggle to add a new room as yet another baby came. It was a wonderful, rooted remembering, that funeral. There was no shriveling sadness, but only a hearty gathering of reasons for our being and then moving on. It seems a testimony in itself for keeping a record of the proceedings of our days.

Elaine Cannon

Why am I doing this?

Others will value our records
Personal records are sacred
Our records are helpful to other record keepers
It may help to set the record straight
We are commanded to keep a record
Even imperfect records are worthwhile

How do I start?

Do it in your own handwriting
Use good quality paper
Use black ink

Writing My Personal History Format

Statement
Description
Reminiscence

Examples:

Statement on “Parents” - Tell your parents’ names, and when and where they were born.

Description – Tell about each of your parents’ physical characteristics and personalities.

Reminiscence:

How were your parents alike and how were they different?
What were their talents, hobbies, interests or skills?
How did they adjust to each other’s peculiarities?
Was their marriage a happy one?
Tell about their involvement in religion, civic, social or trade activities.
What personality problems, disabilities, or health problems did they have while you were growing up?
Was there a constant family unit of the same two parents? If not, what effect did loss of a parent have on the family? On you?
If divorced, how was it handled?
What change did remarriage bring?
What was each parent’s role regarding discipline? Religious training?
What was each parent’s role managing money? Decision making?
What special memories do you have of your relationship with each of them?
What did your father do to earn a living? How did that affect you?
Who was the real boss in the family?

Suggested Chapter Headings

Heritage	Spiritual experiences
Parents	Mischief
Relatives	Toys
Homes	Conversion
Neighborhoods	Hobbies
Birth	Careers
Childhood	Military
Youth	Beliefs as a Teen
Marriage	Teen activities
Education	Boy/girl relationships
Health	Dating
Finances	Courtship
Talents	Child rearing
Employment	Divorce
Children	Death
Brothers
Sisters
Holidays
Vacations
Callings