Sunday, September 25, 2011

How Have Local Tragedies Affected Your Family?

When you write your story include how local tragedies affect your family or friends.

I didn't know anyone personally involved with the Reno Air Races Tragedy, but one of my daughters works close to where the Races are held.  Another daughter had a couple of friends who were there at the Races though fortunately were not hurt.  Many people are affected, if not first hand, through the people they know.  When the Amtrak wreck occurred a few months ago, some friends were driving behind the truck that crashed into the train.  Having a four wheel drive vehicle, they were able to help transport some of the victims from the crash site.

Although tragedies are hard to deal with, they do affect our lives.  We are who we are because of all of our experiences whether good or bad.  Recording how tragedies have affected us can be an important part of our story.

If you would like to express your condolences to victims of the Reno Air Races Tragedy you can do so at this site.

Monday, September 12, 2011

What Do You Remember About Thunder Storms?

Here's another question for your life story:

What Do You Remember About Thunder Storms?

Thunder and lightning have always been frightening to me.  I want to be inside and protected.  I'm glad they don't happen too often where I live and where I have lived.

I remember a thunderstorm one summer day when we were having a 4-H club cooking class.  We had mixed up a batch of  muffins when the power went out.  Our leader had an electric oven so we weren't going to be able to cook them.  She got on the phone and called her mother-in-law who had a coal-burning cookstove still in her kitchen.  We learned how to bake in a coal-burning cookstove that one time.  I've never had the opportunity to cook that way again, but I did learn an appreciation for grandparents and great grandparents who cooked that way all the time.


I know my parents were more aware of the weather and changes that might be coming than I am.  My father knew to get his tractor back home as soon as it looked like there might be a thunderstorm coming so he wouldn't be caught out in an open field.  I remember he talked about flash floods that could sweep down a wash rapidly from a thunderstorm up in the mountains.  Of course the best part of thunderstorms is a beautiful rainbow at the end.

I think it would be interesting to read about how my ancestors who were pioneers dealt with thunderstorms.  I am sure it could be a scary experience when you are traveling across the plains with just a covered wagon or a handcart.  Since I would like to know more about their lives, perhaps some day someone will want to know more about my life.  Some day someone may want to know what you experienced and how you coped with challenges.  Write down your experiences to share with someone who may be interested in the future.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

What Were You Doing When You Heard About 9/11 Ten Years Ago?

Here is another question for your life story:

What were you doing when you heard about 9/11 ten years ago?

Historical events do affect our lives.  Ten years ago 9/11 was one of those events that as an American citizen you could not ignore.  The reporting of it was every where--on television, on radio, on the internet, in the newspapers and everyone was talking about it.  Where were you when you learned about it.  What did you think when you first heard.  How did your life change after it.
I didn't really pay attention to news headlines; and, although I saw the news headlines online, I didn't pay much attention to it.  When I went to work in the afternoon, the television was on.  The director of the museum where I worked was watching the reports.  That is when I found out what happened.  My daughter at school found out long before I did.  The teachers had told them what to do in case there was an attack locally.  The students were fearful of what might happen.
Now a decade later our lives have been changed.  Security alerts happen.  More security has been put in place at airports to the point of removing any rights of privacy for those who fly.  We are more fearful and less trusting because of what happened.
Write down what you felt when you heard about 9/11.  Write down how it affects your life now.  Write down you feelings about how the world is different now.  Recording how this tragedy affected you can be an important part of your life story.