Telling the Story (Not Just the Facts)
from the series: The Archive of Us
Some stories are told like receipts.
Others are told like spells.
This post is about the difference.
Because sharing memory isn’t just about what happened—it’s about how it felt.
Who you were. Who they were. What the air smelled like. What the silence meant.
Memory becomes real when we bring it to life.
The Trap of the Timeline
Here’s a memory:
“In 1987, my cousin and I went to a family reunion. It was hot. There was barbecue.”
Okay. Sure.
Now here’s the same moment, told with breath:
“It was the kind of heat that made your skin hum. My cousin kept sliding on the grass in her socks, pretending it was a skating rink. My aunt’s potato salad had no business being that good. Someone’s uncle brought a boombox and played Frankie Beverly so loud, even the elders swayed.”
Which one pulls you in?
Which one feels like memory?
How to Make Memory Feel Alive
You don’t need to be a poet. You just need to pay attention.
Here are some storytelling tools you already have:
The Senses: What did it smell, taste, sound, feel like?
Emotion: Were you angry? Nervous? Giddy?
Your Voice: Use slang. Use your people’s rhythm. Don’t over-edit.
The “Little Things”: Sometimes the side characters and weird details are the whole memory.
Tip: Start with a feeling, not a fact.
Instead of “We moved to Atlanta,” try “I remember the boxes piled high and the way the new apartment smelled like carpet glue and possibility.”
Prompt for You: Finish the Sentence
Choose one:
“I knew I’d never forget it when…”
“What I never told anyone about that day was…”
“The smell of ____ still takes me back to…”
“They probably didn’t know it, but…”
Write it, whisper it, or post it in the comments if you want to share. You never know who needs that memory to unlock their own.
Next Post:
Shared Memories, Conflicting Truths: What Happens When We Remember Differently
Subscribe to keep the series coming—and if you’ve got a story bubbling up, let it rise. Memory is medicine. Say it out loud.