“I think it captured perfectly the story I wanted to tell.”
-Judy Davis
On May 10th over 350 family and friends gathered at the Minnehaha Country Club to celebrate the life of Phil Davis.
Judy Davis: I knew Phil didn’t want to have a church service. What he really would have wanted was to have a couple of good scotches with all of our friends, that’s what he liked to do. I thought, somehow I wanted to make that happen.
With the help of StoryTelling America, her daughter Allison, her sister Cathy Dudley and Phil’s supervisor, Vicki Signor, Judy was able to share Phil’s story through their words and many photos from their lives with him.
Judy: I think a lot of people had no idea of the background that led Phil to be what he became. Moving overseas was probably one of the most important things that ever happened in his life. He grew up in a small town in Missouri and always knew there had to be a way out.
What expectations did you have when you started the “The Phil Davis Story” project?
Judy: Originally I thought I’d get up and say a few words at Phil’s party. I came to realize that would be a bad idea. It was pointed out to me that in these kinds of situations ones emotions can be very unpredictable. Showing “The Phil Davis Story” seemed like a more ‘civilized’ approach and allowed Allison and I to simply enjoy the gathering with many friends and relatives.
Was it difficult?
Some people are natural storytellers, while others may think they are not. It’s StoryTelling America’s goal to help everyone be more of the former.
Judy: I thought I’d be real nervous. We did the interviews in my home and that made me feel very comfortable. Rick does a really good job of making it very easy.
“The Phil Davis Story” included dozens of photographs of not only family, but many friends.
Judy: A lot of people knew Phil. Phil’s story really triggered a lot of conversations. I realized it wasn’t just Phil’s Story, but all of our stories.
Nothing brings a story to life like pictures. Your old photos not only will illustrate your story, they may also trigger more memories.
Judy: The pictures were such a big piece of this. I had pictures from everywhere through all the years. It helped me to remember things and going through the search process with Allison made it all the better.
Now that Phil’s story project is done what do you think?
Judy: I’m not going to mourn all the things that we didn’t get to do. Having this to watch for years to come will always remind me of all the wonderful things we did together.
Was it worth it?
Judy: I think it captured perfectly the story I wanted to tell. Even if I would’ve been the only person to see this it would have been worth it because it allowed me to go back and revisit our life together…and it was a very cool life.
It’s worth its weight in gold.
Telling good stories and delivering them to the marketplace is about all I do. I call it StoryTelling America.
There is a proverb that says, tell me a fact and I’ll learn, tell me a truth and I’ll believe, but tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.
I think everybody has a story worth telling and sharing one’s life experiences may be the most valuable asset a person can give…your successes, your failures and your accomplishments and your dreams..
Let me help you do just that.