Definition from Wikipedia: An anecdote is a short tale narrating an interesting or amusing biographical incident.
Near the end of Six Degrees of Separation, Stockard Channing (Ouisa) says words to this effect: "Does a person's life just boil down to a few interesting anecdotes?", and then storms out of an important dinner party for her husband. This, of course, got me thinking about blogging because for me, blogs are a series of anecdotes.
Shortly after I started writing this blog, I set up a separate blog to record my family history. Since then I have created well over a hundred entries in it and have not even scratched the surface of what I want to say. Most of the blogs are anecdotes of what I can remember growing up and of the information, photos and clippings that I have saved over the years.
I have often felt that my children missed out on the benefits of a large extended family. While they were growing up, no one got together just for evenings of talking about the past and telling stories; there were few family get-togethers at all. We always seemed to be busy doing other things. For the most part they know very little of their background. Now they are busy with their lives and not particularly interested. There may come a time, however, when they want to know more and they will have this blog as a reference.
Am I doing the people who have gone before me a disservice by reducing their lives to a series of (I hope) interesting and amusing anecdotes?
Shortly after I started writing this blog, I set up a separate blog to record my family history. Since then I have created well over a hundred entries in it and have not even scratched the surface of what I want to say. Most of the blogs are anecdotes of what I can remember growing up and of the information, photos and clippings that I have saved over the years.
I have often felt that my children missed out on the benefits of a large extended family. While they were growing up, no one got together just for evenings of talking about the past and telling stories; there were few family get-togethers at all. We always seemed to be busy doing other things. For the most part they know very little of their background. Now they are busy with their lives and not particularly interested. There may come a time, however, when they want to know more and they will have this blog as a reference.
Am I doing the people who have gone before me a disservice by reducing their lives to a series of (I hope) interesting and amusing anecdotes?
You are absolutely NOT doing a disservice to anyone. Family histories should be recorded, memeories should be saved, your impressions should be saved...somewhere. A blog is a good way, as you have proven! I am trying to do the same. I keep thinking of the youngest generation, and how the family history will be more accessible if I put it in writing. I am still in the early stages, but am confident this is the way to go. If life is a series of anecdotes and your blog is a record of such then I would say your only worry is to be sure you are backing up regularly!
ReplyDeleteI will do it. Thanks!
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