Personal Histories

Would you like to share your recollections for posterity? Or would you like to give a gift of an interview to a beloved family member? Shared Memories will come to your location, or if you prefer, set up a Zoom call, and patiently draw out your memories. We believe that everyone has a story to tell and that it is vitally important that our stories are preserved for future generations.

Why speak to a stranger, instead of another family member?

‘ So how is it possible that we communicate so well with strangers? There are two reasons. The first one is that it’s a quick interaction. It has no consequences. It’s easy to be honest with someone you’re never going to see again, right? … The second reason is where it gets more interesting. We have bias when it comes to people we’re close to. We expect them to understand us. We assume they do, and we expect them to read our minds… With a stranger, we have to start from scratch. We tell the whole story, we explain who the people are, how we feel about them; we spell out all the inside jokes.’

Kio Stark, TED2016
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