Sharing My Father’s Story: An Interview with Melissa Owuor
Donna McCrohan Rosenthal, East Sierra Branch
Melissa Owuor won first place for “The Story of Seth” that appeared in Let It Be Recorded: A Collection of Memoirs by the Academy for Academic Excellence and published by the High Desert Branch of the California Writers Club. Seth grew up in a mud home in Kenya and, after nearly losing his mother to a serious leg injury, vowed to study medicine and become a pharmacist. He moved to California and made good on the promise. His daughter Melissa, also born and raised in Kenya, interviewed him for the book and now lives in the United States.
Showcase: What was the process when you interviewed your father?
Owuor: At first I just sat back and let him share his childhood stories with me and after a while I started realizing how influential my grandmother was and still is in his life, so I focused more on questions relating to her.
Showcase: Did you know the whole story already, or did any new elements come out?
Owuor: I knew some parts of the story. From a young age I knew my grandmother had a bad leg and I was told it was due to a gardening accident, but the story never went any further than that. No one ever wanted to talk about it and I didn’t push for answers, but during the interviews, my father finally opened up to me about the details.
Showcase: Did you have any disagreements with your father on how you would tell his story?
Owuor: I didn’t really have any disagreements with my father on how I would tell his story. He trusted me with his story and how I would tell it.
Showcase: Did you ever see the home where he grew up? Did you know your grandparents?
Owuor: I’ve seen the home a couple of times when we would go visit my grandmother. It’s still there although no one lives in it, but my grandmother still lives in the same area. I didn’t really get the chance to know my grandfather because he passed away when I was four years old, but I see my grandmother once in a while since she still lives in Kenya.
Showcase: When the High Desert Branch of the CWC taught interviewing and memoir-writing skills, what advice did you find most useful?
Owuor : The advice that I found most helpful was to try and find a pivotal moment in my memoir star’s life that made an impact on who he is today.
Showcase: Now that you’ve done this memoir, do you have a new appreciation for family history? What would you like to tell other teenagers about preserving memories?
Owuor: After hearing and telling this story, I have an immense appreciation for family history and that’s one of the beautiful things about preserving memories; you get the chance to hear or pass on stories that allow others to step into a world they can learn from.