May is National Personal History Month. This month-long celebration is designed to help you celebrate your past. Whether you are an avid journal keeper or have no written history, there are many things you can do to share your story. Below are five ways you can share your personal history.
1. Write it
Sit down one afternoon and just write about your experiences, memories and family life. You don't have to be an excellent writer to tell your life story. In fact, your family will appreciate the mistakes you make and even your poor penmanship. You don't even need to start from the moment you entered this world. Begin your story from today. Tell about your family, yourself and your day-to-day life. Just start somewhere and get it all written down. Later, you can worry about compiling your entries and your experiences in a place for safe keeping.
2. Speak it
If writing isn't your thing or you just don't have the time to write down everything you wish to say, then verbally tell your story. Use a recording device and just start talking. This method allows you to start your personal history at a much earlier part of your life and share more details than you may have time to write. And with all of the latest technology, you can create CDs or mp3 files of your history to share with other family members.
3. Design it
Sometimes pictures truly are worth more than words. Using your favorite photos, create scrapbook pages of your life. You can scan the images to avoid ruining the original copy of the photo. You can make the photos as fancy or as basic as you desire. Additionally, you can use digital scrapbook applications that allow you to design all your photos directly from the computer, use as many embellishments you wish and quickly add journaling sections on the page.
4. Watch it
If you have lots of photos or old family videos, create a short film of your life. Use photos to show the important events that have taken place. Additionally, use old videos to show the character and personality of yourself, your family and your friends. The opportunities are endless when you create a film. You can add text, colors, menus, and more. A video of your life is also an excellent present for family members and something they can treasure for years to come.
5. Schedule it
One clever option for sharing your personal history is to create a calendar filled in each day with important things about yourself or events that have occurred on that day. Big events happen throughout our lifetime that we often forget. Create a calendar that reminds you of the day your rode your first bike, the day you received your driver's license, when you experienced your first kiss or had your first bite of sushi. Creating a calendar can be an excellent conversation piece and help trigger many fun and special memories that have occurred throughout your lifetime.
You don't have to stick to the basics when you are keeping or creating a personal history. Make it fun and exciting. Make it something different that will interest your family members and give them motivation to also share their personal history. Celebrate National Personal History Month by doing something. It doesn't have to be extravagant but it can be fun.
