VINTAGE VOICES

Setting the scene: A way to capture some memories if words are not your style

If you are wanting to capture some memories, but you don’t know how to find the words, this might be the ideal exercise for you. Or for those of you who have a pretty good start on recording your memories, this exercise can produce a wonderful piece of historical imagery that will compliment your existing work.

The goal of the “Setting the Scene” exercise is to outline the buildings or locations in which your memories occurred. The images of these locations, even just a rough floor plan, will help bring your heritage to life for curious future generations.

I was inspired to craft this exercise after an experience I had during our most recent family Christmas celebration. During Christmas Eve dinner, the subject of conversation turned to our memories at great-grandma’s house. Each family member at the table shared individual memories of the ranch-style house ranging from my father’s decades of memories all the way down to my childhood perspective of the home, since I was only seven years old when she passed away.

We shared stories of how the smell of her German cooking filled every room, the way great-grandpa would decorate the outside of the house for Christmas and how the family photos were always taken in the living room because the giant bay window bathed the room in sweet California sunlight. Pretty soon we had a paper and pencil and we were mapping out grandma’s house free-hand from memory.

When we were done we realized we had a special piece of history in our hands as we looked at the next generation playing games on the floor beside us. That generation will never know their great-great-grandparents, but they will know about them. We had just preserved a part of their heritage for them. It is a simple, yet poignant gift to pass along and can be done with as much or as little detail as you like.

To get started, think of a building that holds meaning for you like a house, school building, or perhaps your place of work. Try to draw the outline of the building from a birds-eye view. Outline the different rooms in the building and label them. If it was a multi-leveled building, create a separate drawing for each floor.

This mental reconstruction will undoubtedly trigger memories that took place within the building. If you want to record these memories, you can make notes within the drawing. Or, if you do not have enough space, place a number on the spot where your memory took place and on the back of the drawing write down that same number along with the description of the memory. Make sure to mark the address and cross-streets of the location so future generations can find it if they wish.

For a more topographical approach, try printing out a map of the parcel of land where the building stood and use it to show the vicinity of the building to the neighboring parcels and/or structures.

When you are finished, you can use it to help organize family photos by storing the drawing in an envelope with photos that were taken at the location. This is a great exercise for a quiet day at home or at a family gathering where you can capture a multitude of memories and perspectives in a single sitting. Remember to enjoy the journey!

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Please reach out to me through my website if you have any questions: www.sarajaneruggles.com.