A while back a few of my favorite people wrote about how fantastic the book Listening Is an Act of Love was and I immediately put the book on hold at the library. Then I read it, savoring each word, over just a few evenings. I became fascinated with the StoryCorps project. Really, check out the website and take a listen to some of the stories. The idea of celebrating everyday people's lives resonates with me, lover of all things simple and good. My goal is to go to the StoryCorps site in New York the next time I am in the city and record a story with someone. I think that would just be the neatest.
The other night Grammie was over with her best friend from age 3 and we got chatting over dessert and coffee about life and their times together. They've known each other for over seventy years and to hear about Grammie at 4 not sharing her crayons or how they flew for the first time together to Texas to meet their husbands who were stationed there was such a gift. We got out the photo albums that Grammie made up for us and found pictures of Grammie and Hilda putting on a talent show for the Red Cross (they raised $12.00 for them during the war by singing Meet Me in St. Louis), graduating from college, and living in Texas. A friendship that runs that long really is rare. I mean, how many are still best friends with their friends from preschool? And still friends at 75?
As I was listening I suddenly wished I had a tape recorder to tape these stories. I realized that I had StoryCorps in my kitchen. Not bad. I still stopped them in the middle of a story about their memories of my great-great-grammie to tell them to head to NYC pronto. Their stories really were just too good.If you get a chance snag someone, anyone and ask them some questions, then listen. It really is an act of love.
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19 notes:
I love listening to these stories on NPR, it is totally not fair though that sometimes I am driving and my eyes tear up and I can't see the road. The story about your grandma and her best friend is amazing.
What a lucky girl you are to witness those two dear ladies. I love story corps!
Beautiful! Moments like those are so rare. Enjoy it. I hope you get a chance to record it someday!
What a gift you've just given us, telling us about Grammie and her friend!
what a lovely tale of enduring friendship! I still get together with my school friends on a regular basis - some of which I have known for 30 years - it is wonderful to have that shared history with friends.
we actually did this with my grandma when she was dying of cancer....we have her voice and her memories all recorded and it's an amazing gift to us all !
I love old stories from my family. This is a great idea. I will have to look into the book.
I can't tell you how happy this post makes me. Story Corps is indeed a really wonderful project and getting to hear the stories of Grammie and her dear Hilda must have been priceless. Definitely check the storycorp website -- their mobile units might be coming to a locale near you sooner than you think. And how awesome to finally see a photo of grammie on the blog. What darling friends.
I sat down with my Grandpa when I was in college to record his stories before his dementia stole them away. He passed away several years later. Those tapes are some of the most precious things I have. So worth it.
What a treat to get to listen to your Grammie and her friend tell their stories right in your kitchen. The story about how they've been friends for so long is beautiful.
first - i'm honored to be considered among your favorite people - thank you for the compliment and i feel the same way about you.
next - what a wonderful relationship you are bearing witness to. lucky them and lucky you. you don't need story corps to appreciate (although it is a pretty cool idea).
I love story corp, too! Very cool!
oh, your grammie and her friend are just the cutest.
you really should record them sometime. oh, how i wish i had my grandparents voices/stories on tape.
wow, what a beautiful moment! you are blessed!
Thanks for all your Love.
wow! That sounds like an amazing time...lifelong friends are a real treasure
So sweet, special and precious!! I did that for my Grammie. I gave her a tape recorder and let her go. I wanted all those stories. I told her to talk it up anytime she felt like it. You are so lucky to still have your Grammie. Savor her, I know that you do :)
Oh, I heard of this years ago and forgot about it. Thanks so much for the reminder. I've already ordered the book from the library. Thanks so much for writing about this. I love it.
You've reminded me of a project I did in my 20s. I have hours long tapes with interviews of my grandparents and Jeffreys. Audiotapes. I need to find out how to make them digital. They really are treasures.
What a fantastic blessing to have these women in your life. Aren't old stories great???
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