Many thanks to so many of you for joining the talk live today and actively engaging in the conversation. We hold various events for family historians, storytellers, and genealogists several times monthly. Thanks to the support of our patrons and speakers, these events are free, and everyone is welcome.
Family historians and genealogists are familiar with navigating memory's unstable nature. In a lively conversation, Diane discussed the differences between episodic and semantic memory and how our memory is not a true recorder of the events we experience.
Episodic memories capture the feelings of a moment.
Semantic memories capture specific, sometimes documented facts.
The truth about what happened in the past may lie somewhere in between.
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” — Maya Angelou.
Diane takes this idea further to explore factors that affect semantic memory, particularly as captured in documentation. Categorizations, for example, that drive data collectors to generalize occupations can blur any insight you might glean about how someone spent their days. Terms like “spouse” or “homemaker,” that might have been acceptable or even the default in the 19th century, seem meaningless today. Diane’s post about her grandmother captures this insight:
Though episodic memory might seem to get closer to the truth, you have to be careful with storytellers as reporters. It’s tempting for storytellers to respond to an audience, but soon they become “bloviators,” responding to an audience with what they want to hear, enjoy, or laugh at.
Diane also offers that an empathetic lens can be helpful as a tool for understanding the facts given in the context of the time or circumstances. Though it may not provide answers, it can create a guide to help you ask additional questions. Sometimes, it can even reveal that the conversation was the point. Diane’s essay about Frank and Jack shares exactly that sort of story:
When asked about the correct answer, she suggested a braid that weaves different aspects into a larger narrative.
I hope to see you at more of these kinds of events. Explore our Projectkin publication and join us for another live event. Our calendar is available at Projectkin.org/events
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