Creating a personal biography does not need to be an onerous job. If you follow our step by step approach to filling in the blanks, you can create a legacy for your grandchildren that is unique, informative and fun. Perhaps you know someone in your family who should do the same thing, an aunt, uncle, grandparent or friend. If so, then why not share this template with them or better yet, print it out and help them to create their own personal story.

The teen years, politely known as adolescence, presented many challenges for all of us. Depending on the generation you come from, it could have included anything from “Woodstock” to a world war. Regardless of your personal time frame, it was a time of expanding horizons, the pull of maturity versus the carefree days of childhood. You challenged and questioned and wondered and yes, said and did some pretty dumb things. Let’s take a look at the defining moments in a time that was so instrumental in creating the rest of your life:

Where did you go to school, what were their names and addresses, are they still there?

How big was your high school graduating class – any memorable people in it?

Did your parents seem “old fashioned” what specifically challenged you about them?

Do you recall anything specific about your own “coming of age,” any rituals, religious ceremonies, trips, military or events that stand out? Expand on these.

Did you ever do something that you knew was wrong but did it anyway just to fit in? Do you know why and what do you think of it now?

Were you competitive?

Do you have any examples of being competitive, fearful or over confident?

Did you ever run for school office, enter some kind of competition, or challenge yourself to rise up to something new?

Did you have any self awareness about your appearance and how did you deal with it?

Did you compare yourself to your school friends and how did you rate yourself on appearance, intelligence and social skills?

Did you ever compare yourself to your friends on things like shaving, bra size, skin condition, weight, height, clothing, hairstyles?

How popular were you?

Who were your after school friends and what did you do?

Who sat with you during lunch?

Did you bring a lunch (who made it?) or did you buy lunch (and what was school food like?)

Are you still in touch with any high school friends – how have they changed and how are you in touch?

Did your parents approve of your choice of friends?

Did you have any crushes on school friends? who? do you know what they are doing now?

Did you have a crush on any teachers, movie stars, singers or other famous people?

What kind of music did you listen to? Can you name some groups, songs and did you ever attend any live concerts or dances where they played?

Name some of the songs, movies, TV shows that you remember from those years.

What was your first kiss like?

Describe your first date.

Did you go steady?

What was it like when you fell in love for the first time? Was your love returned? How long did it last?

What pressure did you feel personally or what pressure was put on you regarding sexual activity?

If you gave into those pressures, describe the experience and how you felt afterwards.

What was the most embarrassing moment that was a result of your physical maturation – what happened?

Well, that’s more than enough for today. The teen years were exciting, scary, full of laughter, joy, tears, anger, frustration, craziness, unbridled expectation, experimentation, curiosity, success and failure. You were learning how to deal with life without a guidebook or map to the future. We will continue in the next segment to explore what for many of us, were the most important years in our development as a person. Remember to share with others whose lives you would like to know about.

A Legacy Bio should reveal who you really were to future generations. When you are filling in the blanks for this project, add some feelings and stories, hopes and dreams and let the people who read it know a little more than the who, what, where and how – give them some of the WHY. Remember, you don’t have to share this with anyone if you don’t want to and you can attach it to your will with specific instructions on when it will be available for reading, or not. So, let’s get personal:

If a stranger saw you on the street, what are your physical features and typical behavior that would make you memorable? (Sure, include the birthmarks, moles and tats)

Do you wear any specific colors, clothing, pins, jewelry and other accessories?

Do any habits give you away – humming, winking, whistling, tics, favorite sayings (gee whiz), pencil behind your ear, etc?

THE GOOD OLD DAYS

Childhood, a time that holds memories both good and bad. Some repressed and some easily expressed. As you move through this section of your Bio, various things will pop into your mind – don’t ignore or edit them, let them be. Perhaps smells, tastes and sounds will trigger further thoughts about where you come from – let them, encourage them, record them. Don’t be afraid to come back to this section and add memories as they occur – this is who you are!

What do you know about your birth?

Do you have any knowledge about your mother’s pregnancy and the first few days of your life?

When were you brought home, or were you born there? If you were born in a hospital, which one?

What was the name of the doctor, your birth weight, length and were there any challenges for you or your mother?

Do you know what your first word was?

What do you know about your personality as a very young child – can you check with your parents or siblings? Precocious, talkative, smiley, inquisitive, colicky, etc.

Do you know when you began walking, talking, potty trained and any stories of mischief you got into? This is your chance to add a little color and personality so readers get to know the real you.

IF YOU WERE ADOPTED, a section follows just for you because we’re special. Otherwise, that’s it for this week. You might want to revisit a few times over the next few days as more memories pop into you mind – and they will. Please tell friends about this Legacy Bio format and the fill-in-the-blanks process. They can get the updates automatically by subscribing to my website and can receive the pdf FREE of charge when the series is complete. Ok, now for you adoptees – move to the next section:

When were you told about your adoption, who told you, what did they tell you?

Do you know anything about your birth parents?

What do you know about your adoptive parents and how and why they decided to adopt you?  Do you know anything about when they brought you home? How old were you?

What else would you like to know?

Were there any reactions from family members about your arrival that you remember or heard about?

What unique challenges or opportunities presented themselves as a result of being adopted?

You may have additional information about your birth parents, place of birth, circumstances, maybe even hard information that you would like to record or add here. This is the time.

A little self promotion now: I was adopted too. I wrote a book about it called My Secret Mother that may be helpful for you or any birth parents who gave up a child for adoption. Information is here.