Create+Living+histories+and+oral+stories

Oral history/ living stories How often have you regretted not asking elderly family members and friends about their lives? Well stop thinking about it and act now! Living histories are a beautiful way to tell someone that they are important to you, for you to find about more about yourself and the construction/ influence of your identity and to keep their memory alive. Below are some topics and ideas to get you started asking and recording answers. Tell me about a time and place you were born… What are your earliest memories? Tell me about your mum and dad What do you think your parents thought of you as a child? What interesting information do you know about other people in your/ our family? Please detail what you know about your family… What do you know about the family or friends that will interest generations to come? What do you remember about the places you lived when you where a child? Can you describe some of the places you lived? What were your favourite childhood toys and games? Tell me about your best friend/s as a child… What do you remember about your holidays as a child? What sort of pets did you have when you were young and what were their names? What were you best at when you were at school? What did you want to do when you grew up? Who was your best friend as a teenager…and why? What were your favourite hobbies when you were young? Did you have an idol when you were young? Tell me who and why… What was the first piece of music you bought? What pieces of music would you choose in your own favourite ‘top 10’ from when you were young? What pieces of music would you choose in your own favourite ‘top 10’now? What was your favourite book as a child? What are some of your favourite books now? What was your favourite film/ TV program as a child? What is your favourite film/ TV program now? Describe any family traditions you had or maybe still have…. What was your daily routine as a child? What was your routine as an adult? What routine have you kept and enjoy and why? What routine / habit in life would you recommend? What age were you when you started work? Tell me about the jobs you have had… How did you meet your partner/s? What would you do for a night –out when you were dating ? Tell me about a special piece of music that you and your partner had ‘ just for you’… How long had you known your partner before you decided to have children? How did you feel when you found out you were going to have a family? What did you think when you first saw me after I was born/ when you first met me? What were my statistics when I was born…time of birth, weight, height etc? (or describe what I was like and into when you first met me) What did I look like when I was born/ when we first met? What was your nickname and how did you get it? What are some other nick names of family/ friends? Did I have a nick name/ how did I get it? Before I was born what other names did you consider calling me? What were the first words you remember me saying? Describe some of your favourite memories… Describe some of your favourite memories you have of me as a child… What were you like as a child? What was I like as a child? What attributes did I have as a child that I still have now? What attributes did you have as a child that you still have now? What are you most proud when you were a child/ teenager/ adult and now? What were you most proud of when I was at school/ growing up? What do you like about yourself/ your life? Describe what do you like about me? Is there anything you would like to change about yourself/ your life? Is there anything you would like to change about me? What are the happiest or greatest memories of your life? What are a few of your favourite things? Tell me about the things that make you laugh… Describe your memory of some world events that have happened in your lifetime… Describe the greatest change that you have seen in your lifetime … change@fromyoutome.com Describe something that you still want to achieve… Tell me about the dreams you have for your life…. If you were an animal what would you be and why? What type of animal would I be? If you won the lottery what would you do? What have you found most difficult in your life? What is your biggest regret and why? Can you do anything about it now? With hindsight what would you do differently? Tell me something you think I won’t know about you… What would you like your epitaph to say? Now what do you it will really say? Is there someone you would like to find? Is there anything you would like to say sorry for? What is your definition of friendship, shame, tolerance, … What piece of advice would you like to offer me? Is there anything else you want to say to me?