Rhinos and rain forests aren’t the only endangered treasures of this world. So are human stories. Even languages and relatively recent dialects. Reading this article on a disappearing German-Texan dialect gave me an appreciation that it only takes a generation or two before a social context is completely gone. Dust in the wind.
It’s easy (and beneficial) to look beyond ourselves for what needs to be maintained or fixed. But closer to home, we shouldn’t forget that once lost, a story is gone forever. Every time I visited my grandfather (Pawpaw), I’d kick myself on the drive home for not bringing an audio recorder. Pawpaw loved telling stories and was a font of knowledge about our large extended German-Texan family. And I have a lousy memory–I shudder to think about how much he tried to pass on to me and how much of that I’ve forgotten. I think this is one reason why Story Circle Network appeals to me so much. I wish I knew the women my ancestors were. When Pawpaw passed away, his inimitable storytelling was one of the first things I knew I’d miss. Thank goodness that’s a trait he seems to have passed on to Daddy. 
Sharon Lippincott asks in her blog “if we don’t tell our stories, who will?” Indeed, it’s important to chronicle our life and the journey we took while living it. But it’s also important to encourage our loved ones to do the same.
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