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MemoryGrabber Newsletter, 25 March 2001~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In This Weeks Issue:
Re-Energize your journal writing today for tomorrow By Michael Boyter (The following article is from an article written for a journaling newsletter)
I highly encourage you to expand what you may currently be doing with your journal. As journal-keepers aren't we always looking for something more to write about? What you write today may be the only record of your current families' existence. Think about it! Write What You Think and Believe - You're likely familiar with the cliche "Don't discuss religion or politics with others." That might be a good idea but not when you are talking about your journal. You wouldn't shy away from discussing such matters to your children today so why hold back your hard-earned wisdom, opinions and knowledge from your family's future generations? This is your chance to be, perhaps, more honest about what you believe in than you ever have. Don't miss it! Write About and For Your Children - Your journal can easily become very self-centered. That's not bad, but don't miss the opportunity to keep a record of your children as they grow up. Include important dates like "first tooth " and "first step". Write about their teenage and adult years from your perspective. Your children will appreciate reading about themselves once they reach adulthood. Encouraging your children to keep a journal is highly recommended but nothing can substitute for your view on their early lives. Write About the World Around You - Given a choice, would you prefer to read about history as lived by your great-grandparent or from a stale encyclopedia? Instead of reading a bland page or two about The Great Depression, an old family journal would reveal the struggles that your family went through and include how they survived and coped. Instead of generically learning of the invention of the automobile from a textbook, you could perhaps relive the thrill your relatives experienced as they took their first ride. All of this is possible when historical happenings are included in journals. If you are one of those who believes that "Well, yes the invention of the car was exciting but what have I to write today that can compare to that?" Here are some things that I believe will be of huge interest to future generations. If you agree, write about them. · Write about your first computer · What was your early impression of the Internet? · What was your first purchase online? · Write about the first time that you saw the space shuttle blastoff. · Man walking on the moon If you really think about it, you could make a huge list of historical happenings and tell of your thoughts and how they affected the family. For those days when you can't think of what to write or if you just want something different to write about, print out the news headlines from your favorite web portal such as Yahoo or even CNN.com. Jot down your "take" on the day's happenings. It doesn't matter whether the news is about international things or Hollywood. If a particular news story doesn't interest you, simply write, "this doesn't interest me" then go on to the next headline. Even a no comment tells something about you. If you use journaling software, you may even want to copy and past whole articles on occasions and include it in your journal.
Name Dropping - Like most, you likely associate this with someone who likes to show off or brag, but "name dropping" in your journal is very important. The type of name dropping that I refer to here is that of extended family members. Do not forget to mention brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, parents and grandparents etc, especially as they interact with you. For example, "Today I spoke on the phone with my brother Jeff". Maybe mention a little about what you spoke about and don't forget to occasionally mention his wife and kids and a little bit about them. His son is your nephew and what you write today may be the only bit of information that his descendants may know of him. Maybe you think that this is a little overboard but, to be sure, hundreds of indirectly related relatives will someday be thankful to you. Family Stories and Traditions - Are there any enjoyable family stories and traditions that you wish to perpetuate and have carried on? Of course there are! So don't forget to include all of those stories in your journal. The treasured family stories that you grew up hearing just might be told for hundreds and hundreds of years to come, but only if you act now to preserve them. Get with other family members so that they can help you recall those that you don't remember. A Journaler's work is never. There is always something else to write and endless stories to tell. It's a good thing that we enjoy it so much isn't it? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Real-Life Journal Excerpt, 24 May 1846" Taken from the Journal kept by my Great-G-G-Grandfather, Simeon Fuller Howd who was 33 years old at the time of writing
Monday, 24 May 1846, Near Chimney Rock "The day began very cold, traveling was good. Traveled ten miles before halting at mid-day for a break. "After traveling 16 and a half miles, we pitched camp. The scouts sighted the indians camp on the opposite side of the river,
Family History Excerpts
MemoryGrabber Activity ...Inventory Lists
What Does Your Bookshelf Say About You?
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