P-38 aircraft I had planned to finish the brainstorming series for this post. But reading the Rocky Mountain News this morning, I found two poignant stories, each about a man’s life being changed by an event whose impact could never have been predicted. Everyone’s life story has moments of crisis, of decision, of happenstance that [...]

Here is another technique to help you access the imaginative, creative, and unconscious part of your mind, to discover deeper memories and information for your personal history. (Today’s post was graciously written by my personal history colleague, Lissa Forbes.) Focused free-writing Start with a simple phrase, something that comes to you in the shower, while driving, or walking [...]

      Photo by Gogler John   The creative process is a process of surrender, not control. Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way   Listing If we write personal history only using only what is in our conscious mind, our writing runs the risk of being superficial or boring. That’s because we’ve literally only engaged half our brain. The other [...]

Love is a force that connects us to every strand of the universe,an unconditional state that characterizes human nature, a form of knowledge that is always there for us if only we can open ourselves to it. Aunt Jim Our lives are shaped by the people who love us. Often people write about family members [...]

  Man is most nearly himself when he achieves the seriousness of a child at play. Heraclitus One evening recently I had been engrossed in a book. When it was time to go to bed, I turned on the yard lights and let the dogs out, and was surprised to see that snow was [...]

Do not fear to step into the unknown. For where there is risk, there is also reward. Lori Ward Last night we attended a retirement party for a much-loved minister and his wife of many years. There were many touching tributes and lots of humor, but my favorite part was his brothers (and others) telling in outline [...]

      Be sure to check “About.” It will make this blog make sense–or at least more sense.   No one can predict the future. All we can do is choose our contribution to the circumstances which help shape the future. Don Michael Last night I attended a precinct caucus. It was complete chaos at first because there were at [...]

Everyone has dozens of stories, large and small, happy and sad, funny and painful, that shouldn’t be lost because you think your life is ordinary. It is not. Your stories will bring alive times past for your descendants and enrich their lives by knowing the family stories of their ancestors (that’s you someday). Ronnie Bennett, http://www.timegoesby.net/ [...]