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Article about Legacy DVDs.

Andreas Madsen Lillian Myggen, grandmother, lives in Leasure Village. Like many, she has a shoebox full of black and white pictures of family members she sometimes wonders what to do with. She is not alone, as most seniors have a similar stack of photographs, that all bear witness to an extraordinary time of history: Within a few generations mankind went from horse-drawn carriages to space-travel, internet and cell-phones. Priorities and values have turned inside out, and today's generations often struggle with issues like self-respect and even their own identity.

Andreas Madsen (Lillian's grandfather) in this photo of him holding his violin, didn't have trouble knowing right from wrong. He survived killer winters, the great depression, and Hitler running amuck all over Europe. As seniors we sometimes wish we could transfer a little common sense from the past to the future. If we are lucky we may be able to corner some young person to tell them about themselves or their family, but our efforts seldom seem to have a lasting effect. The young are often caught up in video, media, hype and all the so-called blessings which past generations have made possible for them to enjoy.

But on Wednesday, Lillian will change all of that. Her son, Bent Myggen, will arrive with his video-camera, the two will sit down, open the shoebox and talk about the people that Lillian still remembers. Bent will scan the pictures and edit the video, then put it all on a DVD, guaranteed to last a hundred years or more.

As a professional videomaker, Bent Myggen (www.VisionEars.com) has made award-winning documentaries for a wide variety of organizations, but he considers the Heritage DVDs, which he also produces, as important as any other subject. Says Bent:Imagine what it would mean to us if our great-great grandfather/mother could speak to us from a hundred years ago about the people he/she knew, or about the times and ideas that were the foundation of our families. To me, knowing who my family was, what it stood for and how far we've come, gives me a sense of who I am, that no school or government could ever give me.

Some of us may not have commanded armies or built tall buildings, but that doesn’t matter.  The stories we can tell, the people we've known, the experience we've collected can now, for the first time in history, be sent forward in time and someone, in a life we can't even imagine, will treasure every word and picture.

So dig out that box. Blow off the dust and call Bent Myggen who will spend an afternoon with you talking about life, history and family. Your great-great-grandchildren will never forget it.

Bent can be reached at (805) 693 5678 or e-mail: Bent@VisionEars.com.