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Grandpa and Mum remember our family's move differently. Should I keep both versions in the recording?

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“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?

Discussion

2 community replies

The disagreement is part of what you actually recorded. You can keep Grandpa's account and invite Mum to tell hers, then note that they remember the timing differently. That preserves the two memories without making you certify a date you don't know.

For Mum, the first week contains something the uniform story doesn't: being the child arriving late. Asking her for that scene may give the recording more value than settling the calendar. Grandpa can describe preparing the move from his perspective too.

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