storycorps

one of the last things my grandma susan said before she passed away was to remember that i still had another grandma. it was a simple enough reminder, but it was loaded with meaning. she was basically telling me not to waste the time i have left with my grandma ruby, my dad's mother, while i still have it. in the years since my grandfather (her husband) passed away, i have made an effort every time we're at a family gathering to sit next to her and talk to her or just listen for a while, and make sure i'm not taking her presence for granted.

every once in a while, i've been sitting with her and talking and she'll tell me a story from her youth that totally takes me by surprise, showing me a side of my grandmother that i had never seen before.

death, while tragic, has a way of raising your awareness and bringing you out of your routine and thinking about the people around you that you love, and what you'd do when they're gone. it helps you remember how important the people around you are and makes you want to cherish the time you have with them.

with that in mind, i have always been a huge fan of storycorps and for those of you who are regular NPR listeners, you're probably already familiar with them. but the basic deal with storycorps is that they have traveling mobile recording booths where everyday americans can come in and interview a loved one, giving them a chance to tell their story. you interview for 40 minutes and at the end, a cd recording of the interview is given to you and another is sent to the library of congress for permanent storage. the interviews are a powerful way for loved ones to connect, but more importantly it creates a historical record of the lives of generations of individuals in audio form. so, basically, my grandchildren can go to the library of congress in the year 2050 and listen to my recording.

i've always wanted to do this, and with my grandmother's death, it has sort of been the kick in the ass i've needed to make this happen. there is a mobile booth in delaware in april/may so i'm going to try to get a reservation and see if my grandma ruby is healthy enough to make the trip. she's definitely limited in mobility, so it might present a challenge, but if it's possible, i'd like to do it. i've floated the idea to my parents and they're bouncing around my dad's siblings to see if they think she would be up for the trip.

i'll let you know what happens!

here's more info on storycorps: