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Friday, 16 December 2011

keep it in the family

Posted on 05:00 by Unknown
The Twelve Days of Writing No. 8: Talk to your family and learn their stories.

One of my favorite past-times is going through photos or yearbooks with my parents and asking them questions about them. I've heard about their high school days, family members I have never met and their favorite trips.

Mom won a beauty pageant in high school. What meant most to her was being named Miss Congeniality by her peers. Dad worked a paper route to save money to buy the trap set he still uses, today. He bought it piece by piece for a couple of years until he had it all.

Before she passed away, I interviewed one of my grandmothers for a school project. The assignment was to complete a survey with someone from a previous generation, and she was a good sport about it. At the time, it was a way for me to do my homework. Looking back now, I cherish those moments we spent together. I heard about my grandma, my grandfather, their families and their lives.

My grandparents grew up on farms and worked hard. For fun, they would go to dances, church socials and card games.

Through all of this, I also learned about myself: who am, where I cam from and where I want to go. I learned that every person has a story to tell. Some are great epics, others are anecdotes, but they are all important.

As writers, we have an opportunity to preserve stories and settings and people for future generations. How awesome is that?


Giveaway challenge: What lessons have you learned from past generations that you use in your writing or everyday life? 

Answer in the comments below to be entered to win this week's Twelve Days of Writing drawing. Be sure to check back today at 2 p.m. CDT to see if you are this week's winner. Read about the contest and what prizes you can win here.
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