What Exactly Is Life Story, Anyway?

Although the name itself appears self-explanatory (the story of one’s life), the term “life story” nevertheless evokes many questions from individuals who attend my life story presentations.

For example, what exactly does a life story include? Should you incorporate every last detail of your life, from your birth to the present day? How does life story differ from memoir…or is it the same thing? Where does autobiography fit in?

If you’re reading this article, then you probably have similar questions. Let’s break it down to discover the differences.Read More

Freedom through Education: One Woman’s Quest

Author’s Note: Throughout the month of July, I ran a contest called, “Is There a Legacy in Your Midst?” Individuals nominated a friend or family member to receive a complimentary 30-minute interview and document package from Lasting Legacies. Ms. Valya Shapiro was randomly drawn as the winner. She owns and operates Turnkey Living, Inc., an interior design company outside of Boston, Massachusetts. During our interview, I was impressed by her thoughtful responses and her poignant storytelling ability. I think that you will find the following excerpt of her quest to find freedom through education compelling and inspiring.

Dalene Bickel: Valya, I was hoping that you could share about your childhood in Turkey.

Valya Shapiro: I was born in Istanbul to a Jewish family whose ancestors left Spain in 1492 after the Inquisition, so I have an approximate 500-year history in Turkey. It’s a history which, unfortunately when I grew up, was tumultuous for me.

I was a young child during World War II. Even though Turkey ultimately decided not to enter the War, my father was taken to a concentration camp anyway. It began as a tax that was imposed on all Turkish citizens, but the minority groups (there were three small segments of us in Turkey – Greeks, Armenians, and Jews) were taxed beyond what they could afford. If they could not pay the full amount, they were taken away. Read More

An Uninvited Pet

Lizard on Truck - reducedThe great thing about personal history is that everything that happens to you is relevant to your life story. Take pets, for example. They provide innumerable moments of joy and happy memories, prompting some people to devote entire chapters within their memoirs to their beloved pets.

I’m certain that my family could write several chapters about all of our pets through the years, as we have almost always had at least one pet. However, since the passing of our cockatiel a year ago and our cocker spaniel three months ago, we have been pet free. The boys are frequently asking for a new companion, of differing species depending on the week. The five-year old has asked for a fish and a frog. The eleven-year old would love another dog, but has also asked for a cat. The upcoming 4-H project involves a dozen incubated chicken eggs, but their father and I have put our foot down on keeping the eventual cute and fluffy chicks that will quickly turn into squawking, clucking, and generally annoying (and occasionally aggressive) hens and roosters (I know this from firsthand experience, but that’s another story).

Although I truly loved our beloved and now-deceased pets, I must admit that I do not miss the scattered birdseed and rogue feathers, nor do I miss the incessant and futile vacuuming required as the owner of a dog with black fur. I have actually been enjoying the pet reprieve and am not in a hurry to replace them.

It never occurred to me that perhaps an animal would make the decision to become our pet on its own. As I drew back the dining room curtains the other morning, I was startled by movement near the top of the curtain rod.  Glancing on top of the china cupboard, I was met by the intense stare of a green lizard as he sat perched on one of my son’s trophies.

Lizard on Roof - reduced IINot daunted at all by my immediate order to get out of our home, he merely jumped onto the side of my son’s model rocket. Amazed that the creature had not knocked over the lightweight rocket, I grabbed my camera (see photos below). I couldn’t resist the chance to take some photos of him – after all, how often does a lizard pretend to blast off into space? He didn’t mind the photo op; in fact, I think he posed for it before meandering across the top of the cupboard. I wasn’t sure what to do. Not generally a fan of reptiles, I do think the little chameleon-like lizards native to our coastal home (Green Anole – Anolis carolinensis; they change from green to brown, depending on their surroundings) are cute. However, they’re not cute enough for me to want to hold one, and certainly not adorable enough to reside inside my home.

Of course this occurred while my children – who love to catch and play with the things – were at school. As I pondered what to do, the impudent lizard decided to go for another joy ride. He climbed onto the bed of my youngest son’s derby truck and simply stared at me. Then he climbed onto the roof of the truck, as if perhaps that would make him go faster. After taking a few more pictures, I turned to place the camera on the counter. Turning back around, I no longer saw him.

That was two days ago. I have not seen the lizard since. I hope that he managed to find a way outside and is not galavanting around different rooms in my house, proud of his new abode. I’ll keep you posted if I see him again. In the meantime, please share your own wildlife stories – I would love to hear what has happened in your household!

 

Beyond the Facts: Memoirs that Entertain the Reader
men laughing while reading paper

Source: Creative Commons

I recently participated in The Memoir Network’s teleclass, “How to Find Your Images and Metaphors,” taught by the organization’s founder, Denis Ledoux. As he noted, a memoir or personal history should not only provide the facts (who, what, when, where), it should also convey emotion.

It can be fun to perform research, make discoveries and accumulate facts, but let’s face it – a mere listing of events or names on a family tree can make for some very dry and less-than-stimulating reading. Make the characters come alive by infusing emotion into the story, and don’t be afraid to expand the setting and action. This can be achieved by utilizing vivid descriptions (imagery) and comparisons (similes and metaphors) to better create a mind picture for the reader.

For example, the following is grammatically correct, but merely states facts:

My father, a volunteer fireman, was frequently summoned by the town’s fire siren.

Now consider a more descriptive version:

My father, a volunteer fireman, was frequently jarred to attention and summoned by the sudden piercing wail of the town’s fire siren – a sound as mournful and chilling as the random coyote’s howl.

Don’t worry about becoming too verbose – incorporate as much detail and description as you can. When precise words fail you, turn to metaphors and similes to help you convey the meaning, but try to avoid clichés. Be creative! Think of something new and out-of-the-box to engage the reader. Write whatever comes to mind – remember, you can revise and condense if necessary at a later time.

Yes, adding emotion and descriptions will require extra effort, but it will culminate in a much more engaging and entertaining memoir.