This is an extract from an article by Lisa Kanarek:
Our elders have rich stories to share. There’s no better time than now to sit down and hit Record.
Getting Started
First, don’t assume that your subject will agree to be interviewed. Last year I asked my mom to let me record her life story. Her response? “No. I don’t have anything to say.” It turns out that her attitude is common.
There are times when you find someone who says, ‘No one wants to hear my story,’” says Kate Carter, founder and CEO of LifeChronicles, a nonprofit that records life stories of seniors and seriously ill patients. She suggests telling a loved one, “This would mean so much to me and to future generations of our family.” By making it about the family, it takes the pressure off the person being asked to share their memories.
There is much, much more in the article. You can read the entire article at: https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-use-tech-capture-family-history/.