The only thing I have to add to this discussion is, that is to interview your elders before you can’t and be sure to write things down. You may not be interested now, but you or one of your descendants may be later. I personally used it as a discussion point with my mother when I realized she had Alzheimer’s. Every time she would get “stuck’ on something negative, I would change the subject to her early childhood and I was absolutely amazed at the information she was able to pull out. It calmed both of us down and gave us both more constructive conversation.
I then went to her hometown site on rootsweb and started posting the information. She grew up in a very small town, where everyone knew everyone else. The people on the site would ask me about specific names, I’d ask my mom and she’d tell me stories about them and I would relate them back to the posters.
My mother had memories bad to 4 years old that I was able to verify. I would have never know this information, had I not asked and written it down. A win-win situation all around. You can also record, which is even better in many ways.
The only goals I haven’t met with my son yet is to take him to where his first ancestors entered the country, Jamestown, VA. and to to the first family homestead in PA where my Irish relatives settled. I do have detailed directions on how to get to the homestead, supplied by a total stranger that was interested in history. It never ceases to amaze me how generous people can be.