Interview Time


This is my great grandpa Izzy being interviewed by his grandsons in 1989.

Grandpa Izzy was born in 1898 in Poland. He lived through World War I, immigrated to the U.S. just in time for The Great Depression, sent two sons off to fight in World War II, lost his remaining family in Poland during the war, met many grand and great grandchildren and lived to be over 100.

I remember him. I remember him being at my birthday parties and being warm and fun.

I have 2+ hours of video footage of him telling his life story. Not someone guessing at what they heard from him once—HIM telling it. I didn’t know 90% of it. I remember what he looks like. I forgot about his thick Polish accent and high raspy voice.

I have this footage forever now. It’s one of the most important things I own—right next to the recordings I just made of life interviews with my grandparents.

If you haven’t interviewed the older generations in your family, do it, do it, do it.

You’ll see their eyes light up as they remember things they thought they forgot. You’ll see them smile and talk about friends from childhood, recall the address perfectly of their first home, and be so alive talking about it all.

And better yet you will have this forever to look back on, to remember them, to see them, to hear their story in their voice.

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