MemorySnip

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I hit 54 and realised that I was not getting younger, I felt vulnerable when COVID hit and lost weight to get out of the morbidly obese category, I wanted be around for my children, family and friends. As you start to think about your own mortality you start to reflect on what you have achieved, what you have become and what sort of legacy you might leave. 

 

As I followed this thought process I found myself getting more and more interested in my history, what I have done in my life and scarily I can’t remember most of it. I thought my only resource was to thumb through old photos, to try and remember dates, and recall events but as I did this I began to ask those who were there to help recall, to help put my memories back together, to share their memories and remind me what I have done. I found they too had many stories and photos to share and that started the idea of an app that helped to recall, revive and remember past events.

 

My Mums funeral reminded me of this vast resource, photos appeared from relatives' archives and her friends photo albums of times I knew nothing about or have faint recollection of, I realised this was not only a way for me to remember my past but a way to preserve my legacy and those of my families and friends. I remember watching “this is your life” on TV, a show about celebrities and their friends sharing moments, oh how it would be great to have had Mum’s “this is your life” and to have been able to share it with her when she was alive.

 

I took Facebook off my phone a year ago, not because it wasn't interesting, it was just that I didn't have the time to feed that interest. I wanted to see friends and family posts but ended up actually following strangers down rabbit holes for hours on end. Rather than being connected to those I friended, I found myself more disconnected, isolated and feeling manipulated.

 

I was not really interested in what others had for breakfast or what celebrity they think is funny or what opinions they share with others. Inspirational quotes are not inspiring unless they did it, interesting places are not that interesting unless I knew who was there, what could have been is not what was done and where we might have been is not where we were. What I wanted was a place where my friends and family could tell their story, share their memories and record them so I could enjoy them and add to them without the distraction.

I wanted an app that I can share with family, friends and my world to help me reconnect with my memories. This collective memory becomes my history, my legacy and life story.

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My hope is that you find this app of use and relive your memories, share your life events and reminisce with friends and family.

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Mike Thorby, founder (2021)