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.