Oral Histories

I just finished reading an article about Gen Yers and their need for speed and short messages. The article was in a speakers magazine and addressed the issue of keeping keynotes short and to the point.

This morning I was thinking about the very same thing. I've been working with my Alma Mater collecting oral histories from alumni at reunion weekend. I had been wondering why people telling their stories is growing in popularity. Was it because of organizations like Story Corps, was it because recording and storing is so easy now, was it because of families spread around the world?

Maybe it is none of these. Maybe it has more to do with the stated mindset of Gen Yers. No time to read lengthy articles or to listen to long stories but keep them short and easily accessible, say on Ipods and the stories get attention. Oral stories that most people tell are anecdotal in form and generally short. Maybe the new focus on brevity will continue the revival of collecting oral histories.