Damn old people... (lol) Trying to preserve their memories

[eakinj]

So I have lived in this small town since the tech bubble burst back in the late 90's early 00's when my family and I could no longer afford living in the bay area of California. I've been here since November 2002 (A fact that haunts me still)

Anyway, I've had some down time in-between jobs and decided to start using all this video and video editing equipment to start doing occasional vlogs. During one of the test recordings I thought how cool it would be to sit down with older folks and record their story. Not concerned with how historically accurate it is, just letting them tell their life story in their own words and have them online and preserved for generations basically. I even debating doing a full on Documentary style film with model release forms and all that wonderful stuff.

So today I went to take some photos of this little school that was built in 1873, and as I pulled up, this guy was coming out the door and locking up. I asked him if I could take photos and told him about this project I had in mind. So he gave me his name (so I thought) and the name of his brother in law (or so I thought) and phone numbers and this and that. I go to our local museum and start talking to the lady there and she got totally confused, the guy gave me his brother in laws name as his, gave me the wrong last name, and the phone number was for one of them, just not the one he told me. (Confused yet, so am I) so I describe part of the person and the lady finished up with a very specific aspect of the person that I didn't mention (he had a severe kind of bend in the neck that stood out) anyway. so I have no idea who the hell I talked to.

Then I spoke with some people who are the living namesake of one of the next door towns, and I asked questions and he'd talk but he was just sort of meh on weather anyone in town would want to be on camera or even talk. So some time in September or October I'm going to address the historical society and have an actual written up agenda for what I'm trying to achieve, though to be perfectly blunt, I think anyone with a story to tell is more interested in trying to put their or their family names in history books.

The fire behind all of this is August is the 21rst anniversary of my father passing away and I realized I have no real substantial memories of him telling me about his growing up, or what it was like being on the Indianapolis in WWII, those stories are all lost to time. I figured I have the equipment, really good equipment, I should try and document the stories of those people who may not be here days, weeks, months from now.. But the probably is, this is a small town, and the people in it seem to be very "small town" in their attitudes towards such things. We'll see, still early days, hopeful this will happen. but what a confused set of baby steps today was.

[Newc]

Sounds like you met Cliff Claven, or he thought you were some scammer dude. Or maybe he's just a fucknut.

Either way, it sounds like something worthwhile to me, go for it. You could end up with a viral project. People get on FB and spill their guts about their masturbatory habits and fantasies and end-results, so maybe people who have a life worth talking about should get their time in the light. Who knows, it might link families together who didn't know were out there, or help a foster child find their grandparents.

But then, as you say, town namesakes may just want to get their names in books, and unless you've got a History Channel logo and paycheck for them, they might not care.


In that respect, I'd suggest telling your own story, particularly of how you're missing the stories from/about your father, and start off with that on a page where people can submit theirs.

My dad wrote down a lot of his stories from his youth, and he's more comfortable doing it that way than telling it directly. However, my mother was not much for writing down such things because she didn't want them read, but if she ever started talking about something, she went through the whole thing, and it could take an hour or more. I didn't video any of that, and didn't write down details. I should have, I guess, but then that was her life before I was born mostly. I was only concerned with our time together.

My brother was trying to record videos for his wife and kids while he was in the hospital, but with all the in and out of hospital staff and family as well as friends who came to see him, he didn't get to do the one for his son.

Chase your project. Push people to talk. Get them to say the things they wish they could have said to whoever they wish they could've said it to.

[eakinj]

Yeah, it was weird because he did in fact give me two phone numbers but they were for the actual Jim who lives in the next town over. I dunno, I really kind of think the guy was off his meds. Shame too because he was involved in moving this little historic school into town so it could be preserved. I know a couple Korean war vets (one's my uncle) and another older guy I used to work with, I'm going to talk to them and see if I can't get the ball rolling. I don't really care so much where they live, or whatever, I just want to get their stories. My uncle is 86 and honestly I don't think he's kids or grand kids really ask him about 'the old days' so much. He's also a deacon in a church so, he may know other old timers with stories. It's all about networking I guess, get people I know or have some connection to involved and recorded, then I can say "hey, here's the product, this is what I'm trying to achieve"

I did try to use this small down a bit as an angle, you know "so what was it like growing up here" as sort of a gateway into "tell me your life's story" but. I think I'm going to try for a less resistant path as an opener. In all of this I shouldn't ignore the stories of the family I have either. so.

Some day I should actually record my own story about when I was in a high speed chase (at 19 years old) that ended with a passenger in my car climbing out the window of my car (at 85mph) and shooting the car chasing us with a .25 (thing barely broke the window, but still) but that might be a bit much for this project. lol

[Newc]

Sounds like a plan, but don't get so wrapped up in others' stories you neglect your own, especially if you've got kids. If it does start rolling and gains momentum, you could end up missing your window to do your own. It doesn't have to be a "well, I'm here at the end, so let's start at the beginning" thing. Do it over time, adding new experiences as well as things you've remembered that were once forgotten (talking to others about their lives helps you remember similar events in your own).

As well, hearing the stories of others tends to run together, and we sometimes end up with so many memories from other people that they merge with our own, and our own stories change a bit from reality.

[straycat]

Good luck with your project.

[fett]

Those "Old People". My take. In the '90's, lots of people would stand outside waiting for the Thrift Store to open. I love to talk. So I did. It was fantastic. There were 3 WWII Vets. I'm not sure how I did it. They talked about their experiences in great detail. One friend was a golfer. That was cool. One day, I got to see his foot locker from WWII. Here is what I saw. His .45. He changed the grips. He took plexiglass and put photos of his wife. He had a German pistol. Not the Luger. An officer's .25. Anyway, all you have to do is start a conversation. Carry on. Old Vets and new vets need this.

[Razor]

Those "Old People". My take. In the '90's, lots of people would stand outside waiting for the Thrift Store to open. I love to talk. So I did. It was fantastic. There were 3 WWII Vets. I'm not sure how I did it. They talked about their experiences in great detail. One friend was a golfer. That was cool. One day, I got to see his foot locker from WWII. Here is what I saw. His .45. He changed the grips. He took plexiglass and put photos of his wife. He had a German pistol. Not the Luger. An officer's .25. Anyway, all you have to do is start a conversation. Carry on. Old Vets and new vets need this.

I knew a lot of WW2 vets. Every farmer around my Grandpa's farm served in WW2. None of them talked about their combat experiences. My Grandpa would talk about boot camp. I had a great uncle who served in the Pacific that would talk a little bit about what islands he had been to. He would show me all the souveniers he brought back from Japan. He had a Type 99 with bayonet, a set of hari-kari knives, saki glasses, Jap money, etc... He was in the Pacific from '42 on. He hated Japanese and pretty much anyone of Asian decent with a passion, and wasn't afraid to let it be known either. After being raised around a bunch of those guys I have never put lot of faith in former soldiers who "boast" about their exploits. Most guys that have been in the shit bury it deep.

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