I have been working on transcribing some old cassette tapes from the 80’s that were interviews with elderly citizens of my neighbourhood about local history. I have found myself lost in their tales of survival and the “olden days”. One 96-year-old in 1985 describing a fire in his home during a lightning storm and because of the storm the phone lines were crackling so the operator went home. As a result, there was no way to put the call through the party line to call all the neighbours to aid. It makes these people who have now all passed, come to life, I can hear their voices and their stories. In lots of cultures story telling was an art and the good storyteller was a high-ranking part of the clan or neighbourhood. It is in storytelling that we keep the past in mind, keep legacies going and remind ourselves of all the challenges that were overcome before us. I think everyone has some stories, I am sure that this person being interviewed just thought he was a person living life, and now all these years later I am entertained and intrigued to learn about his school days, farming and triumphs. We each have a collection of stories, know some family history tall tales. Let’s make sure we share them and keep all that high adventure and long-gone loved ones alive. Tell your story.
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