/amarcord

capturing memories from all angles of the elephant

Amarcord Project

note: if you have a memory to add or see that you want to riff on, but github seems too confusing or intimidating, please text or email a memory, and someone will be sure to add it.

what

shared memory bank to add to, look back on, and enjoy

why

I'm (Jon Berliner) choosing to channel all the emotion life throws into something enjoyable and beautiful by and for the people I love. I'd prefer you to help me as life keeps coming by taking 5 min to do something kinda awesome rather than longer to re-explain unhappy stuff in the past.

I want you to add to a doc of our shared experiences so that we can remember them for the murky beauty they are, rather than individually or through arguing over exactly what happened. Memory doesn't work that way. Enjoy the beautiful blur of vibes instead. Watch people discuss different angles of the same event and see how little journaling down specific parts of a memory matters.

  • All my favorite memories are shared experiences with you beautiful folk. I don't want stories about me. I want all of you to capture memories about US.
  • Help me process a ton of trauma by making something beautiful, rather than shaking heads and telling how awful it was. It wasn't awful, because we've had all the great moments we've had.

What, but this time a bit longer

  • shared document with stories. getting details exact is NOT the point - do not argue over what happened. Just add your angle to a shared experience.
  • memories don't need to include me. Watch and enjoy how just being brought back to certain contexts will open up more opportunities for memories to pour out
  • If you see a story you were part of but remember it differently, add you're angle! Have fun trying to figure out who was there, when it was, why we did it, why YOU personally did it.
  • Jump in to tag yourself - don't take offense if someone didn't tag you. We love each other - I promise that if I missed you, it's not because I think less of you. I just didn't remember, and will be that much happier to be reminded that I shared an experience with YOU also.
  • DON'T try to remember the whole thing - the point is that we can put in small individual efforts, and put together a rich picture of a shared lived experience more clear and stable than any individual perspective, no matter how much effort goes into to said single angle or framing.
  • You may see memories from people that don't know you. That's okay! You're wonderful people. If I can talk about abuse in the light to all you guys, you can be brave and talk about a few wonderful moment's you've had, even if you talk about them in front of wonderful friends' wonderful friends.

how to contribute!

  1. Sign up for a GitHub Account (Top Right)
  2. Verify your email via the link in your inbox
  3. Go to: github.com/jonberliner/amarcord
  4. Click memories.md
  5. Click the pencil icon at the top right of the main field
  6. Add your memory: start with a + (it will turn into a pretty bullet point when you're done editing. Start your memory with your name in parentheses. After the memory, indent and add another plus followed by the people you remember there in the memory. Don't overthink it! The point is to jsut get it down and have others come in to clarify more later.
  7. When you're finished, click PROPOSE CHANGES (green button)--you can add a title and note before you hit the button if you want, but not neccessary.
  8. On the next page, look for the green button on the right that says CREATE PULL REQUEST. Click it!
  9. On the next page, there will be (another) green button that says CREATE PULL REQUEST. Click that also.
  10. That's it! Jon will merge your memory in.
  11. (Bonus Points) The page it leaves you off on has a place to write comments. I encourage you to write comments to other people. You can even tag them. You can access the discussions from the PULL REQUESTS tab at the top of the main project page at any time.

sigh...why github, you coding dorkwad?

  • github uses this format called markdown which makes it easier to write thoughts in a bullet format rather than prose format like docs. i'm trying to encourage small, quick bullets of moments, rather than full journal-style entries.
  • you can "make a pull request" aka ask permission to add your edits to the shared memory document. this allows multiple people to add/edit stuff at the same time without worrying about overwriting or messing up docs
  • github keeps track of all the changes to a doc - it would be cool to go back and see the history of each memory and people discussing/reliving it together. essentially each memory can have a written down side conversations about specific moments we shared together, and how we remember them the same or differently!