Buried in my basement in large water-safe tubs are dozens of tapes of reports I produced when I worked at WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio and WTMJ Radio. Tapes of numerous people, events, and topics.

Access to tape recorders was never a problem for me. I could tell stories about I used them for days. What saddens me is how I didn’t use them.

How many times I had opportunities to sit down and chat on tape with my phenomenal parents. About their noteworthy experiences.

They were part of what Tom Brokaw called “The Greatest Generation.  Brokaw wrote, “They married in record numbers and gave birth to another distinctive generation, the Baby Boomers. They stayed true to their values of personal responsibility, duty, honor, and faith.”

I regret I never sat down and talked with Mom and Dad on tape for posterity, and I’m not alone. From the Good News Network:

A new survey shows that most people wish they had asked relatives more about their life while they were alive—after discovering interesting stories once they had passed.

In the lead up to Remembrance Day (11/11), when people honor war heroes on November 11, the poll of 2,000 adults found that 53 percent had learned something not previously known about a family member, but couldn’t ask them about it because they’d died.

Read more details here.