The Story of my Life

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Jogging your memory, 2


(Note.. see the very beginning of this blog for important steps on how to get started writing your life story)


~~ Write about your favorite movies and TV shows as a child.

~~ Write about your favorite foods as a child. Did your mother teach you how to cook?

~~ Tell about your first boyfriend/girlfriend.

~~ Did you go to family reunions? Write about them.

~~ Write about your grade school and High School years.


Friday, February 15, 2008

Jogging your memory, 1


(Note.. see the very beginning of this blog for important steps on how to get started writing your life story)


~~ Tell a special memory about each of your grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

~~ Did any of your relatives ever live with you?

~~ What were some naughty things you did as a child and describe the consequences.

~~ Tell about incidents when you and a sibling got in trouble together.


~~ Write about what you did as a child during the different seasons where you lived.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Step 7...Using my topics and questions to help jog your memory.

Be sure to proof-read and make corrections when necessary, as you progress in writing your life story.

You have now been given all the necessary steps to begin writing your life story. If you stay with it, before long your story will be completed and you can make copies to give to your family members. What a wonderful legacy to leave them!

My following posts on this blog will offer you topics, questions or ideas to write about. The topics and ideas I give you are only meant to help jog your memory about possible happenings in your life....maybe things you have totally forgotten all about.....and that you may want to include in your story.

My topics and questions may not be in the chronological order of where you are at in your writing, but jot the title down for later writing...or...write about it now and put it in the right place later when you come to that period of your life story.

As you do your writing, some fascinating things will begin to occur. As you are writing about one topic or incident suddenly it may trigger other memories, thoughts and events. Be sure to make a notation on paper of these other memories that come to you. Then you can go back and write about it and include them, also.

Topics and Questions to help jog your memory:

~~ Write the full name of your parents, siblings and other relatives.

~~ Write the full date, and the town and state of where everyone was born.

~~ Tell a family nickname you had and why it was given to you.

~~ What did your father do for a living?

~~ Name the towns you lived in when you were a child and the address of your home there, if you remember it.

Monday, February 4, 2008

Step 6...Now, what do I do with these items that I gathered?

After I write my life story, what do I do with all these items of my life that I have gathered? (step 3).

You probably have managed to gather a great deal of items pertaining to your life. There no doubt will be a variety, such as paper information, small bulky items, and large bulky items.

1. Paper information....any vital information documents such as birth certificates, baptism certificates, diplomas, photos of you and your family, important letters, and the like....put them into acid free sheet protectors and then into a labeled, 3-ring binder.

Other less vital information, put them into a file folder system of your life, according to year.


2. Small bulky items....things like award ribbons, badges, small vacation souvenirs, postcards, school memorabilia, and the like....label each item with a date and why you saved the item. It would be very wonderful if you could write a little story about the item. Then place the items into a nice decorated box that you have labeled with the name of the contents and the year range of your collection.


3. Large bulky items... such as clothing, craft items, books, dolls, tools, sports equipment, etc. Do the same with these items as explained in #2 above.

Friday, February 1, 2008

Step 5...Begin writing your life story

After deciding which format you would like to use for your writing (step 4), take the box or envelope that says “birth and pre-school” (step 3) and pick up the top item...which should be your birth certificate....because that is the beginning of your life.

Now take your pen and notebook....or open up your word processor (step 2)....and begin to write.... “I, _________, was born on ________, in the town and state of ________. My parents were_______.

Then continue on with your life story, using your chronological items you have gathered, and as your memory dictates, and using the format(s) you have decided upon.

Don’t forget to give your story a title...such as “The Story of My Life, by ________, and the date you wrote it.

A very important reminder....whenever writing about a married female in your life story....ALWAYS give her maiden name, also. This ties her to other families in your story.