Grandpa and Mum remember our family's move differently. Should I keep both versions in the recording?
Family“We arrived before the school year started,” Grandpa said into the recorder. Mum, listening beside me, shook her head.
I was making an audio history for the family. Mum remembers arriving after classes had begun and spending her first week copying another child's notes. Grandpa remembers helping her choose a uniform before term started. Neither has checked the date against anything else.
I stopped the recording and asked which version to use. Grandpa said it was his story. Mum said the awkward first week was her experience and shouldn't disappear just because he remembered the timeline differently.
I had imagined one polished account of the move. Now I realise making it smooth would require choosing a memory I can't confirm. I also don't want every recording session to become a cross-examination.
Would separate versions with a clear note about the disagreement be useful, or would that make a keepsake feel needlessly formal?