Glad to know about all those who have replied!
And
@ringwood that sounds like a really cool job; preserving the stories of various people, their experiences, memories, the wisdom they want to leave behind. Could you (if possible) elaborate a bit or give an example?
Elaborate? Like in terms of the job/people or what they say?
In terms of the job, we have interviewers who conduct (usually) 1-hour long interviews at a time - most customers pay for at least 4 sessions, sometimes 6 or even more. The interviews are very casual, more like a friendly fireside chit-chat as opposed to strict questions and answers. We have rough guidelines and questions to prompt people, but generally the conversations flow naturally as the speaker sees fit. All those conversations are recorded and that's where I come in. I take the audio sessions that are captured by AI and then edit them into a coherent manuscript - AI often makes mistakes! Those manuscripts go back to the interviewer/writer, who then takes the information and arranges it into a book form. The family also sends in photos they wish to be included in the project. All that goes to our design team - they create a coffee-table style book for the family as a keepsake.
In terms of the people and what they say - well, that depends. We've done interviews with people from all over the world - Canada, the U.S., Australia, India, the UK, Germany, Japan, China, Taiwan, etc, etc. Also, ages vary - anywhere from their 90's on down. Of course, each person is different in terms of what they talk about. I've heard horrific stories about experiences during the World Wars, family tragedies, loss, heartache, hardships, regrets. Equally, I've listened to wonderful stories - things like new additions to the family, happy reunions, long and happy marriages, the love of family and friends, forgiveness, compassion for strangers. Same with funny stories and crazy stories!
An example - we have a set of reflective-type questions that we generally ask people at the end of their session, things like, "What do you think life is about?" or "What are you most proud of?" I'd say by far, the answer for most people revolves around things like family, kindness, love, following your dreams, treating others how you want to be treated, doing the best you can, leaving the world a better place. I think that's the common denominator with everyone - essentially, we want to be remembered. At the end of life, it's the simple things that mean the most.
. *scratches head* Erm, maybe perhaps the country you're from, your age, hobbies or interests, or what you do in your free time. And just about anything you'd say to describe yourself 
)
![Thomas]](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/alonelylife/data/avatars/s/14/14186.jpg?1631136400){kind=avatar}
