Share your stories

I finally tackled the pile of papers that had accumulated on my bedroom floor over the past couple months. Yesterday, all the bank statements, movie ticket stubs and wedding invitations were put in stacks as I tried to decide what to keep, and what to throw away. In the past, notes from friends, programs from piano recitals, and old plane tickets all ended up in the trash. I wasn't overly sentimental. But I've realized that  while these bits and pieces from my life may not have much meaning to me, they might mean something to someone else. 

A few years  ago, I lived in Bolivia and Peru. The only communication I had with my family was one hour every Monday where I read and wrote e-mails. That hour would go by so quickly! I wanted to know every little detail of my fmailie's lives, and I wanted to share every little detail from my life too.

When I came back to the United States, I could talk to my family whenever I wanted! I didn't need to write long e-mails and letters anymore. I went over to my grandmothers house one morning, and she had a box of photographs, mementos and stacks of letters. It was like you could see her whole history in that box! She governement issued booklets from Uruguay, giving advice about the best way to be a wife and mother and letters that she wrote to my grandfather while she was in nursing school in the United States.  She didn't know at the time that she would have a grand-daughter who would want to learn about her and see these things from her life. I'm glad that she had the foresight to keep them. I"m also glad that she was there to tell me what all of those little keepsakes meant.

My grandmother

I htought about how well-documented my time abroad was, but now that I was home, all the experiences I was having were "missing". I decided to start documenting my stories, even if that just meant gluing movie ticket stubs into my journal.

Think what it would be like if everyone shared their stories! Our history would be so much richer. It would help us connect, not only to the past, but to one another. 

Utah Valley is a great place to be if you like stories. The Timpanogas Storytelling Festival starts August 31st in Orem! Story-tellers from all across the country gather to preform. Or, if you want to share your own story, StoryCorps is an organization dedicated to sharing personal interviews. Here is one of my favorites:

Share your own stories! You'll be glad you did.