Could Friday's National Day of Listening Be an Antidote to Black Friday Madness?

I’ve never been a shopping, mall going type person, esp not when there are crowds, but did always loved to talk with my older relatives, esp my grandmother and aunt, and today with my parents often. Am always aware they won’t be here forever and ‘storing-up’ those memories. Think this is a great idea. Have been after my mother forever to ‘write it all down.’

As mentioned before, I’m a hearing impaired person so recording oral histories is wasted on me; that was the first sign that I was losing my hearing…..electronically transmitted sound. But, one Mother’s Day a few years ago, I bought a book “For My Granddaughter”. It asks some questions about your life that you’d like your grandchildren to know. It prompted me to expand so I wrote a story “For Casey” answering the questions, referring to question numbers, but adding pictures, drawings, and a history of our family as I knew it from my mother. It ended up being 58 pages (amazing how we love talking about ourselves). So I suppose that could be our “Day of Listening”.

As a person who has done extensive genealogy work tracing my family back the 17th century and further (in some cases), I think this is a terrific idea.

I loved my grandmother’s stories whose childhood world predated electricity and automobiles. As a child it was so wonderful to be transported back to the late 19th century — better than any book I could have read.

I went to the “Mall” yesterday to take advantage of the bargains before the crowds on Friday …. where I wouldn’t go if you paid me !!!! And I got a $265 wool coat for my son for $87 at Macy’s - I was so excited. There really are bargains out there this year.

I’ve been listening to some National day of Listening stories on NPR this week, what a wonderful idea ! My Dad died when I was 21, my Mom when I was 35, so their stories are gone. I am now the “older “generation, so although I cannot regale with stories of walking 5 miles through the snow, one way, to go to the little one room schoolhouse, I can tell of The B&W TV that went off at midnight with the Star Spangled Banner !

What a great idea!

I think this is a wonderful Idea………….I never go shopping the day after Thanksgiving. Actually now I do most of my shopping online.

When listening…………besure and record the sound. Take video movies.

I have movies from years ago when there was no sound. I so wish I could hear my daughter in laws voice again (I lost her 32 years ago). Also my two little granddaughters that were lost.

Some years before my parents and brother died I played the part of a reporter doing an interview. I interviewed all the members of my family. The stories are wonderful. I will share with you the question I started with.

‘Please tell me about the first Christmas you remember.’
I can’t tell you how surprised I was with the stories my parents had to tell. Things I had never heard them talk about. One thing lead to another and I ended up with 10 to 20 minutes of story telling from each person. I’m so glad I have them.

It is amazing how quickly the voice leaves your memory.

Happy Thanksgiving to One and All……………have a good listeneing day starting on Thanksgivige day while you have the opportunity to hear family stories.

Once, long, long ago, dears, I attended a “Sub-Saharan African Literature” course where the rich oral tradition of this region was taught. The most valuable lesson was the tradition itself, drawing families together and celebrating their shared history and ancestors. A valuable legacy, my dears, that will last longer than any trinket snapped up in a sales frenzy, don’t you think, dahlings?

Must agree with you, MD. When I was a Guide at the Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument, another guide and I taped the oral recollections of some of the movie people who had been guests when WR Hearst was hosting. Their stories were fascinating. One of my biggest regrets is that I never taped my own mother’s memories.
As for shopping on Black Friday - never have, never will.