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Inventory Life Around You and Write It Down

by Michael R. Boyter 
  

Inventory writing is very similar to list writing. In fact, it's almost the same thing with a different twist to it.

It involves writing lists of your possessions or property.  One example, would be to write down all the books (or almost all of them) on your bookshelf. I wrote a similar article about this in particular: http://www.familyhistoryproducts.com/bookshelf.html

Using this same bookshelf example there are many other areas in your home that you can "inventory". Of course do not list something that would embarrass you or anybody else in your family, but by including these inventory lists in your family history and autobiographies you not only tell of events in your life but what your life was like, day to day.

Your grandchildren and great-grandchildren will have the next best thing to being able to "go back in time" and visit your home as it was during your life.

Time has a funny way of making bland things interesting.

Please remember, though, this is supposed to be fun and I am not saying you need to list everything everywhere! Just a good sampling. This will not only give your family members in the future a chance to "visit" your home but many of these items will spark more stories to include in your autobiography, journal or diary.

Here are some ideas of places in and around your home that you may wish to consider inventorying.

INVENTORY LIST IDEAS

Key Chain - What are all of those keys for? A boat? An old truck that you loved?

Your Junk Drawer - We all have one.

Storage Closets

Your Pockets - What do you have in them right now?

Your Purse

Your Car - What you keep in your car says something

The Desk Draw - Home or work. Do you keep candy in there?

Computer Software - What software have you accumulated?

Bookshelf

Garage or Storage Shed

Keepsake Box - Also a hope chest or footlocker

Home Movies - One tape of our "1992 trip to Canada" for example

Photo albums

CD collection

Your Barn

Medicine Cabinet - Could be used for family medical history. Example, high blood pressure pills could mean a tendency for it in the family.

Clothes - Clothes and events go hand in hand

Your Yard - If you love hanging your clothes, you may even mention your clothesline.

The People in Your Office - If you don't work in an office, use the people on your street or people from any group that you belong to. These are "players" in your life story. 

Michael Boyter is the creator of The MemoryGrabber. MemoryGrabber is a downloadable "e-book" that makes writing life story and journal writing simple with it's fill-in-the-blank format and self-interviewing style. Over 600 questions, prompts, lists and activities to spark your memories.  Visit Family History Products