What Family Interviews Can Reveal
I Thought I Knew Everything About My Parents….
Until Interviewed Them.
When putting together interview questions for clients, I infuse deep thought and care into the list. First, there are a few general questions that are appropriate for just about anyone. They invoke answers that are both interesting and entertaining for any audience. Second, there are questions that pertain specifically to the client - like a life event or a very unique story. Finally, there are questions to pull interesting facts and stories that future generations can benefit from - stories that need to be recorded and passed onto the next generation and so forth.
But when it came time to put a list together for my parents - do I act dumb and ask questions that I already know the answers to? I mean, they are my parents! I’ve known them for over 40 years - not quite as long as they’ve been married. That is ample time to get to know somebody.
Or at least I thought.
I was expecting ordinary answers to ordinary questions, but that never happened. For example, I didn’t know my Dad had slept in a dresser drawer as a crib because my grandparents didn’t have a lot of money. Or what was the life event that inspired my mother to become a nurse? Or that my straight-laced Dad got into some (now humorous) trouble in high school! Or that my mother cherished the White Almond Cake that her mother made for her birthdays. It’s now a video for my grandchildren to watch! (And guess what cake my mom is getting for her next birthday!)
Not only were some of their stories news to me - it was revealing to each of them! Some of their deepest feelings, fears and memories came out and, at times, surprised the other!
What came out of this interview was so much more than I ever expected.
I feel it increased our appreciation for each - that which makes us different, but from the same family. I think we will look at each other a little differently. I now look at my parents as, well, more than that. They were people who went through childhood, had the same fears and anxieties I did as a teenager and new parents. These are things we just don’t discuss at the dinner table!
I now have a better understanding of how they became the people they are today and why I was raised with certain beliefs.
I have found, not just with my parents, but for anyone being interviewed - they open up. You would think the opposite - they are shy, don’t speak much. But no, when that camera is on, they open up, exposing their vulnerabilities, putting out their true selves.
What I didn’t expect was how amazing (and relieved) I felt afterwards. It’s a sad thought that they will not be here for the rest of my life. And when they are gone, so are their stories. I now have them on film. Forever. Their stories, in their own words. So now future generations will be able to get to know them and have a better understanding of where they came from!
The best part - it is recorded on camera - the smiles, the laughter, the raw emotion, all locked in. With this video, you can pause it, replay it, take still shots from it, pass it along.
Perhaps one of the most important take-aways from this interview, for me, is that life can change in an instant. You can’t go back. There are photos in albums that I do not know the stories or people behind them. Record them. Do it now.
Are you ready to put your family stories on film? Send me an email with any questions or to schedule a date!