Over a year ago, I asked my Aunt, a woman of 94 years to put together some family history as
my dad and the rest never did. She consented and I have some wonderful stories about my
dad and other brothers and sisters. She is telling me about her aunt and how she would have
people over for tea to listen to the radio as it was the only one for miles around. and some
stories of family events over several decades. She has spoken about how some of my great
uncles were sea captains and a couple of Admirals on both Canadian and American ships.
My grandfather tied himself to the mast and washed up on shore, he was the only fisherman to
survive on that boat and never went back to sea again. There are a couple of tapes with about
ninety minutes of short stories. Tonight I am dubbing her stories for my cousins so they can
pass these stories onto their kids. Our family history goes back to beautiful Cape Breton and
she always tried to find one of her old friends who could still sing Road To The Isle.
Anyway as I finished the first listen through the tape, the last item was the song Road To The
Isle. This summer, two days after that song was recorded on the tape she passed away.
It is funny I used to talk to her every Saturday at 4pm BC time without fail. Tonight it is a bit like
a one way conversation. I am taking out the spaces and places where she turned the tape
machine off and on, but the rest remains as is, she is telling her story the way she wanted it
told. I have a music collection valued at somewhere near 75 thousand dollars, with limited
edition material and hard to find 78's, 45's and Lps' but I personally think this is the most
valuable recording I have. It brings a lot of family members to life, people I met but once or twice
in my life and others who achieved things I never knew about. Its nothing short of fascinating
as she is also a good story teller, you become part of the scene. I have twenty dubs to do so
the rest will be at high speed but this was an hour and a half well spent. Probably bored you
to tears but that is what I am listening to right now.
)
