If on this day after Thanksgiving you’re starting to find yourself a bit relaxed, but somewhat bored, why not do this: interview a relative and record it?

I did this with my father a few years back, after my mother died. It was a lot of fun. We covered a lot of ground, from his grandparents to his parents to his childhood. I learned details about how he and my mother met and our early life in Brooklyn. I heard about his career-making decisions. In short, I learned a lot.

Back then, I used my laptop to digitally record a series of interviews. We now have a set of digital files on our computer, preserved for future generations. I’m sure you could also use a smartphone.

So, if you’ve got some time to kill, why not interview a parent or an older relative? I think you’ll be glad you did, and future generations will be very grateful to you.