Preserving Endangered Stories: The Fight to Save Our Cultural Heritage

When you think about it in a bigger sense, endangered stories are around us everywhere–the first one that comes to mind is the oldest member of the family passing of old age. There are many ways to consider this concept outside of the elderly population, however. Think of a longstanding colleague who finds a new job, a fourth generation neighbor who moves out of town, a family member who is terminally ill.

Right at this moment, I am personally on a quest to capture as many endangered stories as I can from my grandmother. Now that my ‘Poppi’ has passed, and my grandmother has become quite fragile, my desire to record her memories is in turbo mode. What are the stories I don’t know about? And how can I be sure I keep them alive? I know so many of them, but I’m confident there are thousands more we’ve never entertained.

The reality is–everyone has a story. Everyone has gone through something that has changed them. We all have one just waiting to be told. But not everyone has been asked what that was, nor have they been listened to with intention.

One of the biggest things holding us back from openly sharing our stories is the wonder if anyone will listen. And if it they did listen, did they care? Did their story matter? Was it worth sharing?

How can we elicit these stories from others–especially those stories that are apparently on the endangered list?

I personally think it starts with thoughtfully asking the right questions that stem from a place of curiosity and connection. I’ve done some thinking and here’s a list of 10 I plan to use:

1. Our parents are products of their generation–what lessons or beliefs did they impart from their time?
2. What do you wish your parents had known about life that you know now?
3. What came particularly easy for you growing up?
4. When was there a time that you felt different or left out?
5. What were your defining moments in life?
6. When did you walk into a situation as one person, and leave as someone else?
7. What are you the proudest of and why?
8. What are your core values and how did they become instilled in you?
9. When did you fail in life and what did you learn from it?
10. How can young people today live their best life?

Depending on who you’re asking, these questions can all be tailored towards the storyteller’s circumstances. For example, if you’re interviewing a neighbor who’s moving, you might ask, “What were some of the defining moments in this community?” or “What do you wish you knew about this neighborhood growing up that you know, now, to be true?”

So what’s stopping you? The reality is, people are so busy. Busy sharing their bullet points and the highlight reel. So busy that we forget that the most moving stories are the ones we settle in for. The ones that come at unexpected times. Those are the stories last through the generations and transcend the ages.

Will you capture one of those endangered stories and keep it alive?