The adult table was the place to be growing up. I knew a story was particularly good when an adult looked at me, looked at my Mom, and my Mom asked me to leave the room AND close the door. I became pretty good at silently listening at that or another door (or the window when I got taller).
Photos are nice, but they are frozen moment in time. The moments leading to the photo, the significance, and how things changed are all not captured. The story does.
My grandmother wrote down her stories at one point, I think around 2003. With my digital point-and-click camera acquired in 2005 being able to take video, I thought about recording her telling them, but she commented on the camera any time I had it out. Then I noticed she stopped commenting about the camera, so when I had her to myself for a week in 2008, I recorded many stories and otherwise just getting her to talk. Occasionally since, when she was in a talkative mood and my camera was available, I would get more.
Maybe my sibling and cousins will find them interesting.
I definitely need to do the same with my parents.