Make This Year a "Record" Year.

The one year Covid anniversary is upon us. We’ve had to reflect on the last year - the sacrifices, the need for a larger pool of patience, but also more time with family, to start new hobbies and to rest. Yes, it was a year that will be remembered. Generations will give their perspective on the pandemic that rocked the entire world.

Now that a new year has circled around - I have promised myself to make it a record year. Not record like World Guinness or the black disc carrying music. Record as in - press the record button.

You see, like many of you, I inched my way around the house cleaning out, organizing and rearranging. And I mean inched - I still have miles to go after a year! Upon my discoveries in each room, I came across old printed photos and other memorabilia. How many years have gone by without me even thinking about these? How many more will go by? And, when I leave this earth - who will know the stories behind them?

I put a plan into place to start scanning the photos so they are now digital files on my computer (backed-up in the cloud, of course!) That’s a start. Now they are more easily accessible, but also preserved. Printed photos from the 60’s-80’s are not sustainable in any container or album. If you do not have a scanner at home - there are apps available, like Photoscan from Google. Or, there are professional services available to scan them. It is a time-consuming labor of love. Don’t feel guilty about delegating the task!

Okay, but what does this have to do with pressing a record button? One day I was clearing messages off of the answering machine (yep, even cleaned messages - so easy to let those stack up!). I had forgotten about a message I saved from my last birthday - where my father sang Happy Birthday to me. It put a smile on my face. And made me realize - as nice as pictures are to have and cherish…isn’t it even better to have voices? Laughter?

How many of us have lost a loved one, not only this past year, but ever? What would we do to hear their voice again? To see and hear them being happy?

Press record. I am going to be pressing that button as often as I can this year. Yes, I will continue to irk my family taking still shots of them. But I will be pressing the video button more often. And if I can’t take video, I’m going to press record on a voice recorder. There are plenty of apps out there that do this (Easy Voice Recorder, RecForge…). Record them singing, laughing, tell a story. Remember those photos I was going through? And my worry over who would know the stories behind them? Maybe that will be my next project. Recording the best stories behind some of those photos.

Do you have family members that have stories to tell? Would you like to capture them in an interview? Visit my Family Documentaries page to find out how to get started.

In the meantime - here are some quick interview questions you can ask family members (of any age) about the pandemic experience. (Just press the video record button). Because future generations will want to know. This time is special. Your people are special.

1. What was it like?

2. How did you celebrate holidays and birthdays?

3. How long did it last?

4. How did you feel throughout it?

5. What was the most challenging?

6. What were some positive takeaways?

7. Did you gain any new perspectives on life or yourself? What are they?

8. What did you do at home for entertainment?

9. How did you shop for food?

10. What was school like?