1.
What is
your full name? Explain why your parents gave you that name.
2.
When
and where were you born? Describe your home, your neighborhood, and the town
you grew up in.
3.
What
memories do you have of your father (his name, birth date, birthplace, parents,
etc.)?
4.
What
memories do you have of your mother (her name, birth date, birthplace, parents,
etc.)?
5.
What
kind of work did your parents do (farmer, salesman, manager, seamstress, nurse,
stay-at-home mom, professional, laborer, and so on)?
6.
Have
any of your family members died? If so, explain what they died from and what
you remember of their death; the circumstances of their death.
7.
What
kind of hardships or tragedies did your family experience while you were
growing up?
8.
Are
there any obvious or unusual genetic traits that run in your family line?
9.
What
are the names of your brothers and sisters? Describe traits and memories that
stand out in your mind about each of your siblings.
10.
What
are some of your family traditions that you remember?
11.
Did
your family have special ways of celebrating specific holidays?
12.
Share
some memories of your grandparents.
13.
Did
your grandparents live close by? If so, describe how they were involved in your
life. If they lived far away share some memories of visiting them or of them
traveling to visit you.
14.
Who
were your aunts and uncles? Write about any of your aunts or uncles who really
stand out in your mind. Give some details about them (names, personalities,
events that you remember doing with them, and so on).
15.
Where
did you go to school? Give some details about what was school like for you and
some of your memorable experiences.
16.
What
were your favorite subjects in school? Explain why.
17.
What
subjects did you like the least? Explain why.
18.
Who
were some of your friends in school? Explain what your friends were like and
what they are doing today if you know that.
19.
If you
went to college or a vocational school, what school did you attend? Describe
what memories you have of those years and what subjects you studied.
20.
What do
you see as your greatest strengths?
21.
What
were some of the challenges you have had to deal with in your life?
22.
What
medical issues have you had to deal with throughout your life?
23.
Was
religion an important for you and your family? If so, explain what religion
your family practiced and what it meant to you. Explain if it is or is not an
important part of your life today.
24.
What
foods do you like and dislike? Describe any food allergies you or other family
members had.
25.
Were
there two or three food dishes your mother or father made that were especially
memorable?
26.
How did
you meet your spouse?
27.
What
was your courtship like? Describe your marriage day.
28.
Share
some stories about your spouse.
29.
How
many children do you have? List their names and share a few memories about each
one.
30.
Describe
some of the major community, national, and world events you lived through. How
did these events change your life?
31.
What
are some of your life philosophies or life views that you would share with
others?
32.
What
are some of the personal values that are very important to you? Share some
examples of what have you done and what are you doing now to teach these values
to your children, grandchildren and others.
33.
List at
least five people who have had a memorable influence on your life. What did
they do that had such an influence on you?
34.
What
are 20 things about yourself that make you uniquely you.
35.
What
are 50 things that you are grateful for.
36.
What is
your philosophy on money.
37.
If you
could spend a day with any famous person in the world, who would it be, and
what would you do during your day with him or her?
38.
What
scares you?
39.
What
makes you stop and go “Wow!”?
40.
What
are some of the things you enjoy doing in your leisure time?
41.
If you
could go back in time and spend an hour visiting with yourself at age 15, what
would you tell your younger self?
42.
What
are some of your talents? Explain how you discovered them and what you have
done to cultivate and improve them. Describe how your talents have they
affected your life.
43.
What
did you do for a career? Explain how you chose that career.
44.
What
were some of the jobs you had throughout your life and what were some of the
memorable experiences you had with these jobs?
45.
What
are 5 significant events or experiences in your life, and explain what effects
they have had on you.
46.
What
are some of the life lessons that you have learned and would like to pass on to
your descendants?
47.
In how
many places have you lived during your lifetime? Provide a brief description of
each place you’ve lived, why you lived there, and why you moved.
48.
If
someone gave you $10,000 and told you that you could NOT give it to any of your
friends, family members or use it for yourself, what would you do with it?
49.
If you
could go back in time and do things over again, what would you change?
50.
When
all is said and done, what do you want to be remembered for? Write about what
you are doing now to create a legacy worthy of remembering.
51.
If you
were to leave 5 different bits of advice for your future posterity, what would
they be?
52.
Have
you traveled to any place outside of your home country? If so, explain the
reasons for your trip(s) and what memorable things happened on some of those
trips.
Extra Questions
1.
If a
newspaper wanted to do a story about you, what would the story be about?
2.
What
were some of the popular fads you experienced during your life?
3.
How did
you spend your summers?
4.
What
were some of your more memorable vacations?
5.
Did you
ever have pets? If so, tell us about them.
6.
List 20
things you think the world would be better off without.
FROM STORYCORPS
Great Questions for Anyone
- Who has been the most important person in your life? Can you tell me about him or her?
- What was the happiest moment of your life? The saddest?
- Who has been the biggest influence on your life? What lessons did that person teach you?
- Who has been the kindest to you in your life?
- What are the most important lessons you’ve learned in life?
- What advice would you give to your teenage self?
- What is your earliest memory?
- What is your favorite memory of me?
- Are there any funny stories your family tells about you that come to mind?
- Are there any funny stories or memories or characters from your life that you want to tell me about?
- What are you proudest of?
- When in life have you felt most alone?
- If you could hold on to one memory from your life forever, what would that be?
- How has your life been different than what you’d imagined?
- How would you like to be remembered?
- Do you have any regrets?
- What does your future hold?
- What are your hopes for what the future holds for me? For my children?
- If this was to be our very last conversation, is there anything you’d want to say to me
- For your great great grandchildren listening to this years from now: is there any wisdom you’d want to pass on to them? What would you want them to know?
- Is there anything that you’ve never told me but want to tell me now?
- Is there something about me that you’ve always wanted to know but have never asked?
Friends or Colleagues
- If you could interview anyone from your life living or dead, but not a celebrity, who would it be and why?
- What is your first memory of me?
- Was there a time when you didn’t like me?
- What makes us such good friends?
- How would you describe me? How would you describe yourself?
- Where will we be in 10 years? 20 years?
- Do you think we’ll ever lose touch with each other?
- Is there anything that you’ve always wanted to tell me but haven’t?
Grandparents
- Where did you grow up?
- What was your childhood like?
- Who were your favorite relatives?
- Do you remember any of the stories they used to tell you?
- How did you and grandma/grandpa meet?
- What was my mom/dad like growing up?
- Do you remember any songs that you used to sing to her/him? Can you sing them now?
- Was she/he well-behaved?
- What is the worst thing she/he ever did?
- What were your parents like?
- What were your grandparents like?
- How would you like to be remembered?
- Are you proud of me?
Raising Children
- When did you first find out that you’d be a parent? How did you feel?
- Can you describe the moment when you saw your child for the first time?
- How has being a parent changed you?
- What are your dreams for your children?
- Do you remember when your last child left home for good?
- Do you have any favorite stories about your kids?
Parents
- Do you remember what was going through your head when you first saw me?
- How did you choose my name?
- What was I like as a baby? As a young child?
- Do you remember any of the songs you used to sing to me? Can you sing them now?
- What were my siblings like?
- What were the hardest moments you had when I was growing up?
- If you could do everything again, would you raise me differently?
- What advice would you give me about raising my own kids?
- What are your dreams for me?
- How did you meet mom/dad?
- Are you proud of me?
Growing Up
- When and where were you born?
- Where did you grow up?
- What was it like?
- Who were your parents?
- What were your parents like?
- How was your relationship with your parents?
- Did you get into trouble? What was the worst thing you did?
- Do you have any siblings? What were they like growing up?
- What did you look like?
- How would you describe yourself as a child? Were you happy?
- What is your best memory of childhood? Worst?
- Did you have a nickname? How’d you get it?
- Who were your best friends? What were they like?
- How would you describe a perfect day when you were young?
- What did you think your life would be like when you were older?
- Do you have any favorite stories from your childhood?
School
- Did you enjoy school?
- What kind of student were you?
- What would you do for fun?
- How would your classmates remember you?
- Are you still friends with anyone from that time in your life?
- What are your best memories of grade school/high school/college/graduate school? Worst memories?
- Was there a teacher or teachers who had a particularly strong influence on your life? Tell me about them.
- Do you have any favorite stories from school?
Love & Relationships
- Do you have a love of your life?
- When did you first fall in love?
- Can you tell me about your first kiss?
- What was your first serious relationship?
- Do you believe in love at first sight?
- Do you ever think about previous lovers?
- What lessons have you learned from your relationships?
Marriage & Partnerships
- How did you meet your husband/wife?
- How did you know he/she was “the one”?
- How did you propose?
- What were the best times? The most difficult times?
- Did you ever think of getting divorced?
- Did you ever get divorced? Can you tell me about it?
- What advice do you have for young couples?
- Do you have any favorite stories from your marriage or about your husband/wife?
Working
- What do you do for a living?
- Tell me about how you got into your line of work.
- Do you like your job?
- What did you think you were going to be when you grew up?
- What did you want to be when you grew up?
- What lessons has your work life taught you?
- If you could do anything now, what would you do? Why?
- Do you plan on retiring? If so, when? How do you feel about it?
- Do you have any favorite stories from your work life?
Religion
- Can you tell me about your religious beliefs/spiritual beliefs? What is your religion?
- Have you experienced any miracles?
- What was the most profound spiritual moment of your life?
- Do you believe in God?
- Do you believe in the after-life? What do you think it will be like?
- When you meet God, what do you want to say to Him?
Serious Illness
- Can you tell me about your illness?
- Do you think about dying? Are you scared?
- How do you imagine your death?
- Do you believe in an after-life?
- Do you regret anything?
- Do you look at your life differently now than before you were diagnosed?
- Do you have any last wishes?
- If you were to give advice to me or my children, or even children to come in our family, what would it be?
- What have you learned from life? The most important things?
- Has this illness changed you? What have you learned?
- How do you want to be remembered?
Family heritage
- What is your ethnic background?
- Where is your mom’s family from? Where is your dad’s family from?
- Have you ever been there? What was that experience like?
- What traditions have been passed down in your family?
- Who were your favorite relatives?
- Do you remember any of the stories they used to tell you?
- What are the classic family stories? Jokes? Songs?
War
- Were you in the military?
- Did you go to war? What was it like?
- How did war change you?
- During your service, can you recall times when you were afraid?
- What are your strongest memories from your time in the military?
- What lessons did you learn from this time in your life?
Remembering a Loved One
- What was your relationship to _____?
- Tell me about _____.
- What is your first memory of _____?
- What is your best memory of _____?
- What is your most vivid memory of _____?
- What did _____ mean to you?
- Are you comfortable/ can you talk about _____’s death? How did _____ die?
- What has been the hardest thing about losing _____?
- What would you ask _____ if _____ were here today?
- What do you miss most about _____?
- How do you think _____ would want to be remembered?
- Can you talk about the biggest obstacles _____ overcame in life?
- Was there anything you and _____ disagreed about, fought over, or experienced some conflict around?
- What about _____ makes you smile?
- What was your relationship like?
- What did _____ look like?
- Did you have any favorite jokes _____ used to tell?
- Do you have any stories you want to share about _____?
- What were _____’s hopes and dreams for the future?
- Is there something about _____ that you think no one else knows?
- How are you different now than you were before you lost _____?
- What is the image of _____ that persists?
- Do you have any traditions to honor _____?
- What has helped you the most in your grief?
- What are the hardest times?
Elections & Civic Engagement
- A lot of people are talking about the divide in the country today. Do you believe there is one? Does it concern you? If so, do you have any thoughts on how we might begin to heal it?
- Does the divide concern you? Why?
- What does it mean to you to be an American?
- Has this election changed how you feel about any of the people in your life? If so, why?
- Looking ahead four years, what significant changes do you anticipate seeing in the country as a result of this presidential election?
- What were your feelings when you learned about the outcome of the presidential election?
- What are your hopes going forward?
- What are your fears going forward?
- Do you think this election will drive you to be more or less politically involved?
- What was it like for you the first time you voted?
- Can you tell me about a presidential race that meant a lot to you? What do you remember about that election?
- Is voting important to you? Why or why not?
- Is it important to you that I vote when I turn 18 years old? Why or why not?
- Have you ever experienced any obstacles to voting in your lifetime?
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