New Year’s Resolutions Should Include a Good Backup Protocol
Posted on December 22, 2008 - Filed Under Family Memories, Media Archiving
I was just reading about a woman whose computer was acting up so she called a computer technician out to her home to save her from the dread ‘blue screen.’ Apparently she had 10 years worth of genealogy research stored on her computer and NO BACKUPS! Just thinking about that makes me shudder.
If you’ve ever lived through a hard-drive crash, you know it is one of the scariest and most humbling experiences. We tend to relate to our computers as if they are smarter, stronger and infinitely invincible. Most of us are fortunate that we can go day-to-day taking them for granted. Every once in awhile, some tragedy will befall even the most well-cared-for computer and it will succumb to a crash.
Hopefully, if you’ve been religious with a regular back-up regime, you can do a quick restore and have all your data back and your system working good as new. But if you are not making a point of doing this simple to set up task, a crash can truly make your life miserable.
The one hard drive crash I had about 8 years ago has made me extremely paranoid. I have two external drives that I back up to daily with different programs to each drive. I also periodically burn a DVD of valuable files such as photos, writings and research. For Legacy Multimedia, we have a stringent backup system that includes both hard-drives as well as CDs and DVDs.
So I’m just reminding you that this year, when you are setting up your New Year’s Resolutions, don’t forget to put a good backup protocol on the list. I, for one, will sleep better.
Stefani Twyford is a personal historian helping others tell stories, connect generations and leave a legacy behind. To learn more, visit her web site or send her an e-mail.
Technorati Tags: data files, hard drive backup, Media Archiving
Childhood Holiday Memories
Posted on December 16, 2008 - Filed Under Family Memories, Personal History, Preserving Memories
When I worked on my own autobiography several years ago, I used this technique which I sort of invented ( I say that because I’ve never heard of anyone else using it either in my background as a social worker or speaking with other personal historians). What I would do is to find an old picture of me from a time period that my memories were vague. I would look at the photo and start placing concrete things into my memory.
For instance, there is a photo of me taken on a piano bench when I was about 8. I began looking at the photo and remembering the room it was taken in. As I visualized the room, wall by wall, I remembered our kitchen on the other side of the dining room wall and how we had one of those cat clocks on the wall in there. Ours was black. There was also a wall telephone with a very long cord and I began to remember how every afternoon while I was practicing the piano, my mother would be in the kitchen preparing dinner and talking with her mother on the phone. They talked every afternoon for at least an hour because that is how long I practiced. I had completely forgotten about that and it made me realize how very close they were to spend that much time on the phone. I hadn’t remembered these things before really scrutinizing the photo.
I want to invite you to try that technique this holiday season. We spend a lot of time watching old movies like A Christmas Story and The Bishop’s Wife in order to create a feeling of old time nostalgia so I’m going to invite you to create some nostalgia with your own memories.
I invite you to picture in your mind’s eye, a holiday party at school when you were younger, perhaps 4th grade. Do you recall the student-made decorations that hung over the chalk board? What did the one you made look like? Did you have a gift exchange? What did you bring and what did you take home? Did you get a gift for your teacher? I remember in third grade, all the students chipped in and bought a puppy, dog house and supplies for our teacher Mrs Durocher. We wanted to surprise her but from this perspective, I sure hope the parents got some approval before we dropped that surprise! Did your grade put on a holiday play for the parents? What part did you play? How did you feel after the play was over? How did you feel when you went home from school that day? Do you remember everyone getting into the coats and boots in the cloak room? The smell of wet wool?
I hope you’ve created a memory that is peaceful and enjoyable and that you might consider taking the next step and writing it down. If you’re still friends with any of the kids you shared this day with, perhaps share your recollection with them. Maybe you or your parents have a few photos of that time period. Consider using this story as the basis of your holiday letter.
My best wishes to you during this holiday season.
Stefani Twyford is a personal historian helping others tell stories, connect generations and leave a legacy behind. To learn more, visit her web site or send her an e-mail.
Technorati Tags: childhood memories, holiday reminencing, Personal History
Matt Langdon - Founder, The Hero Workshop
Posted on November 30, 2008 - Filed Under Personal History, Social Responsibility, Video Tributes
he•ro |’hi(ə)rõ|
noun ( pl. -roes)
A person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.
What is a hero? Most of us recognize the superheroes that we’ve grow up celebrating. Characters such as Superman and Spiderman, recognizable by their signature superhuman powers and Batman, while not having superpowers, makes use of his intellect, wealth and technology in his war on crime. But in our day-to-day life, there are stories of remarkable heroism from people not well-known but who display great courage and often self-sacrifice, sometimes at their own physical risk, in order to create some greater good.
Enter Matt Langdon, Founder of The Hero Workshop, whose mission is to help kids find the hero within. After working at a camp in Michigan for 12 years, Matt saw firsthand how working with people in different circumstances and environments allowed the opportunity for small deeds of heroism to be recognized and the idea for The Hero Workshop was born. Started in 2006, the aim of the program is to show young people that by doing little things every day, they too can become heroes. Working in classrooms across the country, The Hero Workshop helps kids look at the stories of historical heroes, then using these ‘models’ to look at their own lives, they see how they can behave heroically in the decisions and challenges they face daily. When a child is able to recognize and accept the hero within, a whole new level of self-confidence is achieved and these kids will now ’step up to the plate” in making responsible choices and speaking out against injustice. Teacher are trained in the program and left with a syllabus which they can continue using after the workshop is over.
Working with Dr. Philip Zimbardo, retired Professor Emeritus at Stanford University and 2008 TED presenter on “How Ordinary People Become Monsters… Or Heroes”, The Hero Workshop recognizes that being a hero is always a choice. “Do I stay home and play Wii or help old ladies across the street?” But being a hero is also a context, one where those choices become clearer when we, in fact, know that we do have the ability to choose.
Matt also took part in the recent Hero Camp in Houston at the end of October. “Changing the World, One Everyday Hero at a Time”, the 4 day camp, attended by about 25 people, aspired to address creating a program that can be run by anyone: a parent, a school kid, a teacher, a concerned citizen…anyone.
When we spoke a couple weeks ago, Matt told me about a “play it forward” social networking game called Akoha where players can collect cards which, once they complete the kindness mission on the card, can be registered online, earning the player “karma points”. Each card, as it’s passed from one person to the next, can be tracked on (eventual) 3D satellite maps so you can see where the card has gone since you played that mission and passed it on to the next player. Currently in Beta, Akoha plans to launch in early 2009 so stay tuned so you can rack up points by launching your own deliberate acts of kindness (although you can sign up as a beta player now.) HeroCamp has been working with Akoha to develop a companion deck aimed at high school aged kids and focused specifically on heroic acts.
I am touched by Matt’s vocation. I see we are in similar lines of work, me helping people tell their stories and Matt helping people find the heroism inside their story. To me, HE is the hero here and I look forward to his daily stories of small acts of heroism.
Stefani Twyford is a personal historian helping others tell stories, connect generations and leave a legacy behind. To learn more, visit her web site or send her an e-mail.
Technorati Tags: Dr. Philip Zimbardo, Matt Langdon, TED, The Hero Workshop
StoryCorps 1st Annual National Day of Listening, November 28
Posted on November 26, 2008 - Filed Under Family Memories, Geneaology, Personal History, Preserving Memories
Tomorrow we sit down with our family and friends to give thanks for all we have, personally as well as collectively. I recently read an article where the average organic Thanksgiving dinner costs an additional $100 more than a non-organic dinner. Organic or not, shopping for a Thanksgiving meal is no low-budget event. Then comes black Friday, which is traditionally one of the busiest shopping days of the year as families get a head start on their holiday shopping. It will be interesting to see how the retail climate will be affected by this year’s financial crisis. Prices are already being slashed and daily I am receiving significant discount coupons for merchants that normally don’t discount.
Which is where StoryCorps comes in. A non-profit organization whose goal is to instruct and inspire ordinary Americans to capture one anothers stories, StoryCorps is starting a new tradition this year. Instead of hitting the malls on November 28th, they are encouraging Americans, while gathered with their family members, to participate in the 1st annual National Day of Listening to begin the process of capturing the stories and memories of one another.
Recognizing that working on a personal history is no small feat, StoryCorps suggests you start small. With just one person, sit down with some type of recording device and start talking. Ask questions and listen, really listen. Learn who that person is, what their earliest memories are, what’s shaped the turns their lives have made and what they want you (and other generations to follow) to know about things that are important to them.
We often tend to relate to some of our relatives as “oh, Uncle Joe. He told funny jokes and always smoked a cigar.” We know how Joe interacts as part of our family group but do we really know him?
This project can be one or a multi-generational project. I love to get younger children interviewing their grandparents. It’s a lot of fun coaching them on the questions to ask and it is usually a fun exchange to watch. StoryCorps has created a downloadable guide to get you started. They also have a slick little question generator which helps you create a list of questions that might pertain to each person you interview. You can also look at my article, “Effective Interviewing Techniques for Video Histories” for other tips and suggestions.
Consider what a gift this can be; to the person you choose to interview, to your family who will now have this recording to cherish for future generations, to StoryCorps should you decide to give them a copy of the story. Consider this is also a gift for you. The joy that comes with helping another tell their story is one that I can’t even begin to describe but believe me, it has no comparison in any mall. It is truly priceless.
Stefani Twyford is a personal historian helping others tell stories, connect generations and leave a legacy behind. To learn more, visit her web site or send her an e-mail.
Technorati Tags: Day of Listening, Family Memories, Personal History, StoryCorps
Hope Chest
Posted on November 24, 2008 - Filed Under Family Memories, Media Archiving, Personal History, Preserving Memories
A Hope Chest was originally used as a dowry. It was property that a woman owned and brought into her marriage. Some women could not find a suitable husband, for various factors; therefore, the dowry was used as a way of enticing a man into marriage.
The idea of a Hope Chest symbolizes so many hopes and dreams. It’s about seeing the future unfold before your very eyes and it’s about preserving a lifetime of memories and building a family legacy, a heritage. It’s a place where a young girl places all her treasures and dreams as she waits for her life to unfold. And it’s a place where parents dream, too.
The reality is that a Hope Chest has no special powers and the idea of a dowry in today’s times would be insulting. But that doesn’t mean that you have to stop dreaming or preserving your family’s legacy.
True, a Hope Chest is nothing more than a wooden chest, a closet, a storage unit, or a large box full of items that have been collected over time. But with a little personalization, it can be so much more. So close your eyes and think about what you wish would have been passed down to you and then ask yourself, “What would I like to see my child have as she (or he) leaves home to start a new chapter of her life?”
Now, imagine your child’s reaction when she opens her Hope Chest and begins placing those items, one by one, throughout her new home. Can you see the memories she will have as she reflects on each item and the time the two of you purchased those items? (That’s a total “Miracles on 34th Street” feeling.)
Hope Chests also offer a great way to teach your child to start her life debt-free; because a lot of the necessities and/or knick knacks will have already been purchased. Wouldn’t it be nice if your child could start collecting some of those things now, so that she does not have to go into debt to acquire those things later?
Just think how much less stressful your child’s life with be if she could find that perfect apartment and immediately begin to decorate it, to make it feel like home—with items from her past?
There are many ways you can accumulate things for a Hope Chest:
Ask family members to share their treasures. Anything that holds a special memory should be accompanied with a story/letter. Purchase items while on vacation or attend auctions and rummage sales together. Ask friends and family members to purchase things that your child would one-day want to own in her own home. As your child begins to work, she can purchase the smaller ticketed items and place them into storage. You can also save for the larger ticketed items in a special “move out” savings account.
The important thing to keep in mind is that a Hope Chest is very much like a treasure chest. It is to be filled with things one will hold dear for the rest of her life. Each item should symbolize a special moment, place, or time in your child’s life, or the life of the giver. Now go out there and get started!
Alyice Edrich is a freelance writer for hire (http://alyiceedrich.net) who enjoys helping parents earn extra cash from home so they can spend more time with their children. To get three free e-books or buy one of her best sellers, visit http://thedabblingmum.com/ebookstore
Stefani Twyford is a personal historian helping others tell stories, connect generations and leave a legacy behind. To learn more, visit her web site or send her an e-mail.
Technorati Tags: building family heritage, hope chest, Personal History, Preserving Memories
Studs Terkel - National Storyteller, Gone at 96
Posted on November 8, 2008 - Filed Under Family Memories, Personal History
Those of us in the personal history business feel a strong calling to help other people tell their stories. I’m not really sure where it comes from but you ask anyone who is doing this type of work and it’s a common theme. We all believe in the power of a story and the need for people to be heard and understood by those around them and those that come after them.
Last week, a legendary storyteller and radio personality, Studs Terkel, passed away at the age of 96. When honored with a National Humanities Award in 1997, President Bill Clinton said no one had done more to expand the American library of voices than Studs Terkel.
Winner of a Pulitzer Prize in 1985 and host of a radio show for 45 years, Terkel is often credited for mapping the American landscape of Everyman; those among us who lived and died unknown and unrecognized yet were the fabric of the 20th century in America.
NPR has a beautiful article online as well as a great audio remembrance. There are also several other significant audio clips from Terkel’s radio shows.
Technorati Tags: NPR, Personal History, Studs Terkel
Legacy Lists - Organizing The Family Information
Posted on October 19, 2008 - Filed Under Family Memories, Media Archiving, Personal History
I recently realized that while my two sons are grown, 25 and 22, my will lists my brother as the executor of my estate. My oldest son lives here in Houston and it has occurred to me that I need to start grooming him to be my executor, showing him where all the important papers are and basically letting him know what needs to be done in the event that something happen to me. Where are keys, deeds, instructions, etc. Then I could release my brother as executor from the estate, which I’m sure would be a relief for him.
Naturally I’m caught up in how to do this. As anyone who has taken this on for a dying parent knows, there are so many details to keep track of and take care of. Just working through my parent’s photographs and film has taken me a couple of years.
I think for me, I will probably start mapping out all the areas that need to be addressed and create some sort of master document for him. Then, when that’s ready, or maybe even while I’m preparing it, sit down and start showing him, step by step, where everything is. In fact, as I’m writing this, it occurs to me to start sharing this with both my sons during the upcoming holidays so that this conversation begins now and they are both aware that at some point, that day will come and we will all be prepared.
Steven Rosen of the Kansas City Star wrote his own article about this as he is in the process of helping his mother into an assisted living community. He is realizing that even beyond taking care of her furniture and estate planning documents, he wants to be sure to cover ALL the bases by creating what he refers to as a Legacy list. This covers all those things I mentioned as well as such things as making sure he gets copies of his favorite family recipes such as the brownies and pot roast he grew up on.
He shares with us a resource he found called The Beneficiary Book by Martin Kuritz which is a fill-in-the-blanks book where you can record important information such as family medical information, burial requests, attorney and insurance information, where the safe deposit box keys are; all those bits of information I mentioned needing to pull together for my own children. There is also an electronic version available online at http://www.active-insights.com/.
Since I tend to live on the computer, I will probably check out the electronic version. I like the idea of a guided collation of materials. I am nowhere near a life changing event such as going into an assisted living home but I believe in being prepared. Life hands us all surprises and I would rather not my kids be the ones having a grounded plan, MY plan, then trying to make sense of a surprise.
Stefani Twyford is a personal historian helping others tell stories, connect generations and leave a legacy behind. To learn more, visit her web site or send her an e-mail.
Technorati Tags: estate planning, Legacy Lists, Martin Kuritz, Steven Rosen, The Beneficiary Book
The Three Dynamics of Personal Histories
Posted on October 7, 2008 - Filed Under Family Memories, Geneaology, Networking, Personal History, Photos & Snapshots, Social Media, Social Responsibility, Video Tributes
Since October is Family History Month, I was already thinking about this subject for a new blog article when a Canadian writer and film producer named Robb Lucy asked that I make a contribution to his new book. Scheduled for publication in the Spring of 2009, it is tentatively titled “Legacies aren’t for dead people – It’s about creating and really enjoying yours… now!”
Robb wanted to get additional perspectives on this specialized form of storytelling from other professional biographers, videographers and members of the Association of Personal Historians.
In helping so many people create personal and family histories over the years, I have observed that the process typically produces three distinct benefits for the people involved. These I call The Dynamics of Personal Histories.
1. Connection
When reviewing and assessing a lifetime of memories, people begin to connect or reconnect with their roots and their core values. Instead of focusing on all the things they may have failed to do, they begin reflecting on all the things they did accomplish and how their lives have had a positive impact on so many others. This realization helps them connect to their family of origin, their childhood, their past. It serves as a reminder that they have done some good things along the way and in the process, it improves their sense of self-worth.
2. Recognition
Most all biographies involve family members and the bonds that tie them together. At the very least, they include a close circle of friends and associates. But how well do people really know each other and what of younger or distant relatives who may never have known the subject very well? By creating a personal history, many details about a person’s life are revealed. Their thoughts and feelings are expressed, events big and small are recounted, and their unique personality shines through. These things help the larger body of family and friends to understand the person (and often themselves) better. New connections are made, old bonds are strengthened or renewed, and the group recognizes how that person fits into to their collective lives.
3. Pride
First, there is pride in the person being profiled; pride that their story is now known by the family… and pride that generations to come will learn it too. And then there is pride in each member of the family… proud to be part of Grandma or Grandpa’s family… proud to be connected to the larger group. It is an affirmation that all their lives are rich with stories worth passing on to those who follow.
Robb is interested in using lots of quotes and stories from a variety of other sources including individuals that have created personal or family histories for themselves and those who may be considering it.
He usually asks the two simple questions below when interviewing subjects.
1. Have you benefited from another’s Legacy? And if the person who created it is still alive, are they enjoying it too, knowing it will still be there when they’re gone?
2. Are you creating a Legacy? Is it one you and others can enjoy now… knowing that when you go‚ you’re going to leave a positive mark?
If you would like to contribute a story to Robb’s book, you can send it to his blog at: http://legacysmile.blogspot.com/
Stefani Twyford is a personal historian helping others tell stories, connect generations and leave a legacy behind. To learn more, visit her web site or send her an e-mail.
Technorati Tags: autobiography, dynamics of personal history, family history month, Personal History
Putting the Pieces Together Again After Hurricane Ike
Posted on September 30, 2008 - Filed Under Family Memories, Media Archiving, Networking, Photo Restoration, Photos & Snapshots
It’s been a little over two weeks since Hurricane Ike slammed Houston. For awhile, we were all the press could talk about, and then real life happened and the county’s financial mess engulfed our 15 minutes of fame.
With power still out in many areas and some 400 people missing from Galveston, it will be a long time before Texas recuperates from this storm. There have been some amazing photos and stories from Ike, such as that of Mike Anderson who was literally washed from his house and floated for 36 hours until he was rescued 14 miles away.
From now on, each of us in Houston will have our “Ike” story. Where we were, who we were with, what time the power went out, how long we were without power, what the first walk outside on Saturday morning looked like, how much damage our house sustained. We all share the basic theme, but our details and nuance are our own.
Here are a couple of photos of our office before the storm. All of our equipment was double bagged in plastic and pulled off the floor. All of our tapes and discs were placed in Ziploc bags, then put into plastic bins and placed on high shelves, at least 5 feet above the floor. All of our client files and working files were backed to external hard drives and those were placed in plastic boxes on a high shelf. The office window was also boarded up. We were without power for around 9 days and fortunately the office suffered no water damage.
We took photos and video of the office as it looked before the hurricane, as well as photos of the serial #s of equipment in case there was any damage that needed to be claimed. Think we’re a bit paranoid? Maybe. But as keepers of our clients’ memories, we take that trust seriously.
Stefani Twyford is a personal historian helping others tell stories, connect generations and leave a legacy behind. To learn more, visit her web site or send her an e-mail.
Technorati Tags: hurricane Ike, photo and video storage and sharing
Natural Disasters 101
Posted on September 12, 2008 - Filed Under Family Memories, Media Archiving, Photo Restoration, Photos & Snapshots
I am sitting here in Houston, waiting for Hurricane Ike to arrive. It’s 9AM and he’s not expected until around midnight but I’m nervous and not quite sure what to do. Arranging things around the house, most of it seems pointless. You never really know what’s going to happen until it happens. Will we flood? Will windows break from flying tree branches or patio furniture? Nobody can say for sure. But we are lucky and out of the way of such disaster that would require evacuating.
Two weeks ago, in the throes of Hurricane Gustav, I saw a photo online of a man walking in New Orleans, pulling a small red suitcase behind him. He was evacuating his home and everything that was important to him was in that small suitcase. A picture says a thousand words and that picture packed a punch. What would you put in that suitcase?
It reminded me of three years ago when Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf. We knew it was coming and had to make some big decisions about whether to leave or stay and if we were staying, how to protect our things. Isabelle (my business partner) and her family chose to evacuate, packing up their car and driving to Dallas. At the time, her photos were all digitized and on disks, which, with her computer, were loaded into the car and went along with her. My family decided to weather out the storm here in Houston. Moving the furniture away from the windows and taking down the artwork was the easy part. Protecting all the photos and memorabilia was nerve-wracking. First I pulled them into the office with me. Then I moved everything to a small second floor closet but then decided that if a tornado came through post-hurricane, they might get sucked into the sky. They finally ended up in the trunk of my car in the garage while we waited out the storm. I figured a force stronger than nature would have to lift my car out of my garage and pull the photos out of the trunk. Clearly, I wasn’t prepared.
Three years later, I am almost through the daunting task of digitizing and storing all my family’s photos. There are a couple thousand photos and several generations so it’s been a challenge getting them all organized and archived. But I do coach people all the time on the need to have their family photos archived so that if any type of natural disaster strikes and they get damaged or destroyed, there are archived copies somewhere; on disk in a safe deposit box, in an online storage site, or a copy safe with a relative somewhere else.
Stefani Twyford is a personal historian helping others tell stories, connect generations and leave a legacy behind. To learn more, visit her web site or send her an e-mail.
Think about what you and your family needs to do to get started now. Then do it.
Technorati Tags: family photos, hurricane damage to photos, hurricane Ike keep looking »
