Sentimental "Show & Tell" Journey
76-YEAR-OLD SANTA BARBARA GRANDMOTHER TO EMBARK ON SOLO, 5,000 MILE ROAD TRIP TO REDISCOVER AND PRESERVE FAMILY HISTORY!
If you could ask your great grandparents anything at all, what would it be? Don't you wish you could find out what their childhoods were like, who influenced them, what they were afraid of, and what secrets they kept?
Do you wonder what challenges they faced and how they overcame those cchallenges?
That is precisely why Marcia Orland founded Afterglow Media, to help preserve the memories of her clients' loved ones for present and future generations.
Inspired by the work, and wanting to spread the word more widely, Marcia, grandmother of nine and resident of Summerland (a village adjoining Santa Barbara, CA) will soon embark on a 5,000-mile journey to share her passion and encourage others to do the same for their own families. Her only companion will be a video camera.
“When I turned 76 in February,” says Marcia, “I decided it was time to capture what my remaining family members remember about our growing up together in the small town of Warsaw in Western New York. If I don’t do it now, the stories will be lost forever. It will be a joyful reunion as I haven’t seen many of them in over 50 years.”
Tucson, Arizona; Pasadena, Texas; Lee’s Summit, Missouri; Fairport, New York; Richmond, Virginia and Dothan, Alabama are just a few of many stops Marcia will make on her journey to record the memories of her aging relatives and document her own personal history.
She will regularly post clips of her travels on Facebook so people can keep track of her (#FindMarcia). This ambitious road trip will take 37 days, from August 2nd to September 6th.
In the libraries of some of her stop-over towns, Marcia will conduct 'Show and Tell' events, where community members will gather and share stories about heirlooms, momentos and precious objects. "This is a great way to get the conversation started," says Marcia, "and I encourage families to do this whenever they gather on holidays and other special occasions."
While she has saved enough to pay for some elements of the trip, she still needs funding for her rental car, and hotel stays, as well as food and fuel.
Marcia Orland founded Afterglow Media in 2004. Since then she has produced dozens of family histories, both in video and print form. She is a member of the Association of Personal Historians.
Afterglow Media also produces self advocacy videos for the non-profit, Board Resource Center, promoting more self reliance and community inclusion for people with developmental disabilities.
On her return to Summerland, she will create a short subject documentary based on her “Sentimental Journey” road trip adventures.
It will be available for film festivals and broadcast purposes.
"It goes without saying, that if it goes without saying, it's gone."
