Today is the official,
National Day of Listening. It's a day where you record / interview a family member, spouse or friend. Earlier this year I had heard that NPR was driving a Story Corps Airstream around the country providing a recording space for the interviews. This past March on my way to our most recent Silver Sisters Airstream rally in Pismo Beach, I came across the Story Corps Airstream parked in front of the John Steinbeck Museum. It was a bit surreal because about 10 years earlier I was at the museum after it's opening with my parents. I loved Steinbeck's book, Travels With Charley and I stared in awe at Steinbeck's 1960 GMC truck,
Rocinante on exhibition in the museum for a long time. After we left the museum we stopped by our first Airstream Rally in Watsonville, CA. That's the day the aluminum fever really kicked in.
So there I was, revisiting the museum and I realized what a huge day that was back then and how it must have lived in my subconcious now that I find myself traveling with my pup, my '60's GMC truck and travel trailer!
I didn't have my man, G with me to record that day (not even Osa), so I made a vow that I'd make an appointment with Story Corps. I later read on the fabulous Andrea Hamilton's
blog that she planned on conducting her own interview in her Airstream with a recording kit you can rent from Story Corps. What a great idea! My folks just visited this month and I interviewed my Mom in my 1960 Caravel using my iphone. It was incredible. I loved the questions, "is there anything advice that you'd like to tell me?", "what advice do you have for young couples?", "what was your childhood like?". These are questions that you'd like to ask, and it's so nice to have an excuse to actually ask them. It's also great to have a recording of it so you can share it with future generations. I really encourage you to set up an appointment with a friend, your spouse, and especially your parents or grandparents and conduct an interview. As they say, "listening is an act of love". So true, so true. Thanks for listening to my story.
