When you are old, what do you think children will ask you to tell stories about?

SSG Ed Mikus — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 11:41:20 -0400

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 15 at 2018 11:51 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 11:51:35 -0400

Children don’t normally “ask” to hear stories, the generally just listen to the ones we decide to tell them. If my grandson asks me to tell a life story, I would like to share funny stories from my Navy days fixing F-14’s on the Nimitz and shore leave stories. Maybe funny field days in the infantry.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Aug 15 at 2018 11:58 AM

CPT Jack Durish — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 11:58:59 -0400

Generally, they don't ask. They run to grandma yelling, "He's doing it again!" when I attempt to tell them a story. That's why I've written my stories and published them. It appeases my need to tell stories without alienating the family. [And did you catch that? I just told another story]

Response by SFC Kelly Fuerhoff made Aug 15 at 2018 1:57 PM

SFC Kelly Fuerhoff — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 13:57:49 -0400

I guess I'll see when I'm old if my daughter asks me to tell her any stories about my life. I used to talk to my grandpa whenever I could about family history stuff. He was in the National Guard for a bit and he told me a little about that.

I wish I would have had the chance to talk to my other grandpa about his time in the Army. He did 3 years after WWII in Japan. He had a stroke in 95 when my grandma got diagnosed with cancer (and then died from the cancer). He never could really talk very well again after that stroke. The last time I saw him was my dad took me to the farm (which he had to sell and it was in my dad's family for over 100 years) and my grandpa brought out this Army scrapbook he had of his time. He then died while I was in AIT and I couldn't get back for the funeral. I have that scrapbook. I wish I could have had the chance to talk to my grandma as I got older and as an adult. I was 13 when she died. My mother's biological mother died before I was born. Her stepmother is the only grandma I know on her side. She's still alive, my other grandpa died two years ago. But she spends more time seeing her kids so it's hard to get time with her.

I have spent lots of time talking to my dad about a range of topics. I know I have heard a lot of the same stories about his childhood multiple times. I don't care. Someday he'll be gone. I was doing family history/ancestry stuff but I haven't had time. I made a page for my side of the family and my daughter's father's side because someday I want to compile a book for her of her family. But it's so hard to get his side to tell me anything or share pictures. That's why I thought a group page would be helpful but no one seems to care.

I did find out through ancestry someone who had a lot of data on my grandpa's uncle who died in WWII. Apparently his wife remarried but never told her kids she had been married before and they found a box of his medals and stuff - and then the guy who had researched him did so because he found the medals in a pawn store or something. He said he spent 15 years researching my grandpa's uncle. I asked him to register him at the Army National Museum.

I'm interested in history and especially ancestry stuff. But mine is so boring. I did a DNA test - 100% European. I was hoping for like 1% of something else. So plain. I think mostly Scotland on my dad's side. I think some Ireland maybe a little German on my mom's side.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 15 at 2018 2:14 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 14:14:45 -0400

I'm afraid they will ask to know what the US was like when it was a free nation...

Response by SGT Philip Roncari made Aug 15 at 2018 8:04 PM

SGT Philip Roncari — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 20:04:00 -0400

I am old ,and my stories from fifty years ago are not deemed suitable for children according to Household Six or (She who must be Obeyed) so I guess I’ll just have to keep boring the hell out of the youngsters here on RP,now there was that time when a big freaking lizard dropped from the top of a GP40 tent and bit this FNGs big toe,see how even that simple story loses something in translation
eg -freaking ,FNG.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Aug 15 at 2018 10:51 PM

CSM Charles Hayden — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 22:51:01 -0400

SSG Ed Mikus After reading an uncle’s 8 page, typed family history, I did my own.

The events I recalled required 18 pages.
EACH grandchild read a complete version, as I monitored them.

Now, when I relate events of my life, those now young adults understand.

Response by MCPO Roger Collins made Aug 16 at 2018 8:24 AM

MCPO Roger Collins — Thu, 16 Aug 2018 08:24:45 -0400

SOP, we all wish we had asked more AND listened to our elders long after they passed. What I have found is as you age, you tend to become invisible. When the younger people do expend the time to listen, it becomes difficult to end the conversation.