Pen - Freewrite
This is a freewrite from this prompt
Freewrites are short pieces of spontaneous writing which can be fantastic or make not much sense.
Pen
What all comes to mind? That the pen is one of the most powerful things we invented with time. Well, the written word - which at one point meant tablets and maybe chisels. Or are the cave paintings of old considered writing? It does convey history beyond the spoken word
We have lost the art of passing on our history through the spoken word, through storytelling. Yes, we all can still speak but we do not remember. And we do want a new story every day - not that there are any new stories. Just the same ones told over and over again. Different actors, different settings, same old story.
This became so apparent when I was listening to audiobooks from the public domain. I love the Librivox project and had have listened to so many stories written maybe one hundred or more years ago.
Take the horses and replace them with cars, take the hand-delivered note and replace them with a text message - and the story is the same.
Still, the same sexism going on - just more veiled. Or any other form of discrimination. Yes, we have made progress- but it is still with us.
Back to what I wanted to write about. I lost so much of our family history because I can't remember. The old aunties told the stories, but we didn't listen. And we didn't ask for the same story over and over again.
They all knew who was related to whom - who lived where - who married whom and what their stories were.
And I didn't listen or didn't care or don't
remember. Now, I wished I had listened and remembered.
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I loved the old stories. I still remember the ones my father used to make up when we were in by the fire. Tales of fairies and magic. A fairy fort down the fields or leprechauns he met at night. Some heard from his father and some that he made up himself.
I would love to pass them on myself some day.
Wrapped up on the couch with the sister we used to love them.
That is so precious!! Storytelling is a real art!
I am also missing the family history stories. I really wished I would have paid more attention!
I will try the freewrite anyway. Never done it before but I used to love writing when I was younger. See if I still can.
Yes!! You can. And we are a very nice community :)
Really made me think about how important it is to write things down...whether it be with the pen that prompted this or the chisels and rocks of olden days, right? Especially the stories that we never want to forget from people like our old aunties :).
for sure - or even voice record it. I always wanted to record my mom - ask her questions. But we always were busy, or not in the mood, or had tech problems. Then, her mind wasn't so good anymore and now, she is gone...
Voice record is what I always wanted to do with my grandfather. Never got around to it either before he passed. Best thing you can do now is either record yourself telling the story as they did, or write it down just to solidify their history. Some details are lost from the original storyteller but at least you get something.
So true - and even stories from my own upbringing. So different from life today.
I can't help but feel, and agree with, the sadness in the last sentence.
Well written, @mariannewest! :D
Thank you so much!! I think that is why a lot of my freewrites end up a bit autobiographical. I have been wanting to write memories down for my kids for a while... Once again. Yay to freewriting . lol
That's actually a very good idea, and I really hope you get around to actually doing it sometime (soon). :D
Awesome. We do associate pens with memories. I wonder if that's intrinsic to pens or because they aren't something we (or at least, I) tend to use anymore but used daily as a younger person.
I think a bit of both. But we see how kids feel growing up with digital everything to record their lives...
Well what can i say.... Our lives have become so much infested with technology that now we barely speak to each other..
But we will regret it when people who love us the most wont be around anymore to tell us about their stories..
Listen to their histories before they become history..
So very true!!