Main Street Magazine June 2009
Lost History
Tilly Rivers
Are the stories we grew up with about to fade away?
Among our generation, (Generation X) it is a long standing joke to mock the stories our parents, grandparents told us when we were younger. Life’s lessons and stories that would begin with; “When I was a kid we had to walk ten miles to get to school in weather 40 below- snow banks as high as the hydro wires!”
When we were young, we had what most younger people have- a strange aliment that comes upon you at about the age of thirteen and lasts to your late twenties, it is called “Bighead syndrome” the symptoms are easy to spot, we know everything… do not need to listen to anything…and the generations before us, are silly…and out –of-touch.
The sad part is as we get older we remember these stories, and heaven-forbid, if the story tellers leave us, because than we regret that we did not capture the stories when we had the chance. The regret sits heavy on our heart- that we have lost not only a part of history, but our own intimate history- these stories are our blood line- and with each step walked before us a path was created for us to walk upon.
The best stories, the true history that you could never read in a history book can be found at your kitchen table when your grandparents come to visit, or at an elderly care center, or coffee shop where retired friends get to together to reminisce about the days gone by.
We always meant to capture these moments, to get a recorder and tape them so that they are carved into our personal history archives, yet for one reason or another life gets in the way, and before you know it the stories, the ones we fluffed off when we were infected with Bighead Syndrome have become precious gems.
It is my hope that we will all start to take the time to sit with the generations before us while we have the chance, to take a pen and paper with us, or buy a recorder, and with very little prodding ask those in whom have lived life, are wise, and have so much to teach us---to tell us the true history of our land, our family and our inheritance.
I am one of those in whom live with a heart of heavy regret for not doing so when my grandparents, and father were alive, I am making it my mission to correct that mistake with my mother- the burden for her of course is that she will tell the stories, not only about herself, but be my father’s voice as well. No better ambassador- however, his voice, his history will be lost, for now the stories are up to the teller’s memory- not entirely lost- thank goodness- but still… not the same.
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