Everyone has a story! I truly believe that we can learn from our ancestors and their stories, so that we can find connections with those who came before us. With this belief in mind, it was heartbreaking and astounding to listen to Sean Lennon, son of John Lennon, interview Paul McCartney in 2020. There are so many stories, recordings, and documentation chronicling John Lennon’s life, yet to hear Sean’s eagerness and interest in hearing about his father reminds one that stories concerning even someone as famous as John Lennon and his family could be lost to time. Sean was five years old when his father was murdered in 1980, and for John Lennon’s 80th birthday, Sean interviewed his father’s family and friends for the BBC’s “John Lennon at 80.”
A moment that captures how quickly our family stories can be lost starts around the 5:17 mark in this BBC recording with the following question:
“My grandmother Julia did play banjo and ukelele. Do you remember what she was like because I’ve actually never really spoken to anyone about my grandmother, who actually met her in person before. What was she like?”
This is a reminder to all of us to take the time and talk to our family and family friends in order to learn our family story and more about our family connections.