Tuesday Afternoon I Met a Hero of Mine

Tuesday afternoon, I met a hero of mine for the first time - Robyn Fivush, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at Emory University. She is the person who gave me, although quite indirectly, permission to create Pixorium, way back in early 2006, when it was just an idea. I could finally thank her, and I did.

Back then, I wanted to find proof that family storytelling was more than just fun. Storytelling had to "matter;" it had to bring some positive, meaningful change to either the life of the storyteller or the life of the listener. I knew from my own experience that it did. Hearing my family's stories as a child and adolescent certainly helped me define who I was and gave me a sense of belonging that helped ground me. But I wanted proof, the kind backed by rigorous research, to support this new business of mine. I had to have proof to be able to say to others, "Sharing your family stories really matters and is worth spending your time and resources doing. Here's why...." When I discovered Robyn's research, I found just what I'd been looking for.

"We are interested in how people remember and narrate the events of their lives. Narratives, or stories, about one's past, are the way in which individuals make sense of their experiences and create meaning, both for themselves and for their families. By examining how children, adults, and families tell the stories of their past, both the good times and the bad, we examine how family narratives are created over time through social interaction, and how these stories become part of one's self. In a very real way, narratives become the defining expression of our autobiographical memories, memories of our self over time that help to define who we are and how we relate to other people."

(http://www.psychology.emory.edu/cognition/fivush/lab/FivushLabWebsite/index.html)

But actually it was this statement from a paper she co-authored in November 2005, that gave me the affirmation I was searching for:

"Most intriguing, preadolescent's knowledge of their family history was strongly related to multiple aspects of their well-being and sense of self. Preadolescents who know more of their family history had higher family functioning scores..., a more internal locus of control..., higher self-esteem..., and fewer internalizing problems.... These results make clear that preadolescents' knowledge of their family history is an important contributor to their developing sense of self and well-being. Preadolescents who develop a sense of self as embedded in both a shared and intergenerational family context show higher levels of self-understanding and well-being compared to their peers who do not know their family history as well, suggesting that the development of an intergenerational self, a self embedded in a larger familial history, may be a resilience factor as children approach adolescence."

(www.marial.emory.edu/pdfs/duke%20fivush%20intergenself.doc, p. 9)

There you go. Preadolescents (I think these are the kids we call "tweens") better travel the tough road of growing up and into their own if they walk that road carrying their families' stories with them. By helping families preserve and share family stories, Pixorium would do work that was not only great fun and satisfying, but that also really mattered. Terrific.

Pixorium will be 5 years old in October, having spent those years doing this fun, satisfying and meaningful work. We've been a part of the telling of many meaningful stories, some of which were of significant hardship and pain, and we've been honored by the trust placed in us. We've also digitized tens of thousands of family pictures of all sorts, helping those families save and share the images of "their" people and visual memories. Thanks to Robyn, we've done that work knowing that science confirms that it really matters. Amazing.

And, of course, we're having a 5th anniversary party. We're celebrating with a photo and story exhibit - only appropriate, right? The exhibit opening reception will be Saturday evening, October 22 from 5-7 in Elliis Hall at All Saints' Episcopal Church on West Peachtree @ North in Midtown. I hope you'll join us!

If you are a Pixorium client and you'd like to share your photo and story for the exhibit, please contact me asap.

And yes, I'm inviting Robyn so you can meet her too.

Best,

Jiffy