Dates (Elements of Memoir) #AtoZChallenge

       A memoir is a type of history and thinking from this standpoint we can see how specific dates might be important.   The reader doesn't always have to know exactly when events mentioned in a memoir happened, but it's almost always relevant for the writer to provide a general setting in time for the story.

       Some memoirs might deal with specific dates however.   A milestone event in the author's life should in most cases have a date attached to it.  Dating the event gives it greater context in the history of all things as well as a relatable point in time for the readers of the memoir.

       There are certain dates of historical significance to which a memoirist might attach personal meaning.  The day President Kennedy was assassinated, the attack of 9/11, or when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans are examples of dates when many shared an experience and have personal stories to tell related to the event.   Others might have stories to tell about historic events such as a presidential inauguration or a major sporting event.

        The dated stories don't have to be necessarily big in scope either.  A story might be about what you and your family or friends did on a particular holiday in a specific year.  It could be a story about a wedding day or a funeral, either which would have a significant date attached to it.

        Think about dates in your life that stand out.  There is the story of the day itself as well as the days that led up to that day and the effect in the days after the event.  Dates are just as important to the story as they are to the person relating the story.  

         Do you typically wonder when something happened in a story you are reading?    When you are telling someone else about something that happened do you include when it happened?   What are some important historical dates that impacted you personally?

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Should We Forget Our Own Past?

HBLL Family History Library (inside) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

       More than a few people I've known have indicated that they'd rather forget their pasts.  When broached on the subject these people might just casually slough it off or even outright reject the notion that anyone might need to know about their personal history.

         Let bygones be bygones, leave sleeping dogs lie, or let's forget about the past are sentiments that many people have expressed while so many of us want to know what happened in days gone by.  Why this disconnect and negativity about personal and family history?   Or even history in general?

           I can recall a time when I would have declared history to be one of my least favorite subjects in school.   And yet I always enjoyed reading books about historical times or seeing movies about events that happened in the past.  A favorite topic that I badgered my parents to tell me about was when they were kids or even things I had done that I had forgotten.   Somewhere along the line I realized that what I was so interested in all had to do with the past and history.  From that point of realization I no longer considered history to be my least favorite subject, but one of my great loves.

          Oh sure, the recall of dates, names, and places could be a bit tedious when tested on them, but these are all details that help to put the stories into proper perspective.   When I think back on my own past I try to accurately put dates on significant events and fill my cast of characters with the actual people with their names.   The places and people of my past tell my story bringing it to a vivid reality.

           A playbook or record of some sort of all of the people who contributed to a life story is probably a good thing to have for anyone who might be considering writing a memoir or life history.  Any epic story needs a cast of players and those characters need faces, personalities, and histories of their own.   Likewise a graphic timeline is a vital tool for visualizing the sequence of events in connection to other life events.  Then let us not forget the importance of geography when a story is related.  We may know the setting of our own story, but many others might not.

          Why is it important to remember the past and tell others about it?   For one thing it can be interesting.  Fiction after all is an imaginary history and if that is interesting to a good many people, then how much more interesting a well told true life story should be.   Also we learn from the stories of others--the successes and triumphs as well as the failures and tragedies.   We can match or model our lives against those who came before; we can avoid the mistakes they made or emulate what they did in order to find ways to make ourselves better.

         I cannot think of any good reason to forget the past.  After all the past is a part of who we are individually as well as who we are as a society.  History can answer many questions about what it is to be human.   The past can reveal some inkling as to where we are going.

         Do you like to think about your own past and that of your family lineage?    Do you think that history is a relevant subject to be taught in school?   What do you think are the most important things that the past can teach us?

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Using Less Traditional Archive Resources

                       In my previous post I addressed the role of the archivist in preserving history and recording it in published works such as memoirs.  Acting as archivist we may keep photo albums or scrapbooks, diaries or other written records, and other collections of mementos and heirlooms.  These all provide good touchstones to connect us with our past and even the times before we were born.

            Our personal collections of artifacts can help us to remember previous events with greater clarity and bring the eras associated with those events back to life in our memory.  This is especially helpful when we are writing accounts of the past and want to recreate the broader picture of the world as it was in those times about which we are writing.  


             Historical or genealogical websites, historic sites, libraries, and museums are all good resources to use when researching the past, but what about some the archival sources you might have right at home?   Have you ever considered some of that "junk" you have stuffed in drawers, tucked away in closets, or stored in the attic?


            On those infrequent occasions when I've started combing through the closets to organize and cull the clutter, I've found many unlikely items that can help to jog my memory about days gone by.  Things like checkbook registers, bank and credit card statements, and other financial documentation that I'm sometimes reluctant to throw away can remind me of when I was spending money and what I was buying.  Even more helpful, these records can help me determine where I was on a certain date.


             Also, in my case (and I'd bet many of you have similar types of records) I have record books from the years I was managing a touring theater company.  These records include the gate receipts from the shows, promotional income and expense, attendance at shows and most importantly the time and place of each show.  With these I can reconstruct our yearly tours.  This is important for me since many of my memoir accounts would be about those interesting years I spent on the road.  I can remember a lot about those days, but it's very helpful to have precise data so my accounts are more accurate.


             Some of the other documentation that has ended up stored away includes maps, brochures, directories, newspapers, and other literature that I thought worth storing away.   I have since discarded many things over the years, but still there is a treasure trove of archival material waiting for me to reexamine.  I was always somewhat prescient to the fact that I might need some of the things I kept for future use.  I've always jokingly referred to these items as being a part of my future museum.


             The true fact is that it is difficult to save everything unless you've got adequate storage space or are living in hyper hoarder squalor.   I've gone through many weeding out periods over the years where I separate that which truly seems useless from that which might have potential value someday whether that value be real or intrinsic.  I've have attempted to maintain a semblance of order to my archive by sorting things into boxes labeled by appropriate subject matter (e.g.--travel information, show records, personal data, etc) and storing them as neatly as possible.


           My basic rule for assembling my personal archive is if I've managed to keep something and it's at least 15 or 20 years old, I won't throw it out unless it's pure trash.  Some items can be sold on Craig's List, Ebay, or other sites.   I've sold some of those items already and plan to sell others in the future.  Older might mean interesting to the right person so I'm hesitant to call anything landfill additive.  


            So remember, next time you're gathering research for your memoir or some other written history, don't forget some of those unlikely sources that are part of that story.  Whether it be what prices were or how the weather was, little details can help you better relive past times so you can more effectively write about them.


             Have you ever used some of these things I've mentioned here for help with research?    How much "old stuff" do you save?   Are there other types of archival material that you can think of?


            I'll be having some great guests over the next few weeks.  I hope you'll stop back in to hear what these folks have to say.   And if you'd like to contribute a guest post be sure to let me know.  I love hosting guests at my blogs.         

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