StoryCorps is a really cool organization that is preserving oral history. I took my Mom to the mobile StoryCorps booth over the Thanksgiving holiday when David was here. It was pretty difficult getting her there, and I thought to myself "why am I doing this" as I struggled to get her in and out of the car, eliciting a stranger who had no idea what they got themselves into. Anyway, "Why was I doing this?" as I was sweating pushing her up the makeshift ramp, and as we start the microphone and she doesn't talk. Why?
Because there is so much to learn from the silence in this recording, in the stuttering, in my voice, and in Sunny's. Our story is not compelling to listen to, yet if you do you'll find the story in the silence and unanswered questions. And then there is Sunny's voice, a sweet 8 year old, and how she communicates and expresses her feelings about what it's like to have a "Nana" with Alzheimer's Disease. This is why I came to StoryCorp. I didn't do this to record a memory like so many people who come to record friends and family at StoryCorps. This is the coolest reason to come to StoryCorps, and I urge you to sign up if you can. This is not something I need to, or care to remember. I wanted our story to be shared with others. I did this to express the need for a cure. I want the world to hear what it's really like at the end stages of Alzheimer's Disease.When you can't communicate with your mother except in fragments, pieces and lost details. What it's like to have lost someone dear, when they are sitting right there in front of you.
Here is the recording....StoryCorp podcast
At the end of the recording if you can bear listening long enough you will hear Peggy say
"I love you, too."
Because there is so much to learn from the silence in this recording, in the stuttering, in my voice, and in Sunny's. Our story is not compelling to listen to, yet if you do you'll find the story in the silence and unanswered questions. And then there is Sunny's voice, a sweet 8 year old, and how she communicates and expresses her feelings about what it's like to have a "Nana" with Alzheimer's Disease. This is why I came to StoryCorp. I didn't do this to record a memory like so many people who come to record friends and family at StoryCorps. This is the coolest reason to come to StoryCorps, and I urge you to sign up if you can. This is not something I need to, or care to remember. I wanted our story to be shared with others. I did this to express the need for a cure. I want the world to hear what it's really like at the end stages of Alzheimer's Disease.When you can't communicate with your mother except in fragments, pieces and lost details. What it's like to have lost someone dear, when they are sitting right there in front of you.Here is the recording....StoryCorp podcast
At the end of the recording if you can bear listening long enough you will hear Peggy say
"I love you, too."
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