Before completing his MBA, Keith received an BA in Communications from Simon Fraser University. He has also studied Commercial Design at Capilano Univeristy and Fine Arts at Emily Carr University. He has worked with arts organizations such as Ballet BC, Children’s Arts Umbrella and the Vancouver Art Gallery. Keith is an independent filmmaker living in Vancouver, British Columbia.

My friend's parents relayed all of this information (and more) to me in a matter-a-fact way. However it was anything but matter-a-fact to their children and grandchildren. When I asked why they had kept the information a secret for so many years the mother replied, "It wasn't a secret, it's just that no one has ever asked us before."

I had asked. I was interested. They responded. Their experience is now part of their family history.

Though a person's life may seem ordinary, this is seldom the case in my experience. A treasure trove of riches reside in everyone if you know how to find it.

Most of us have had the experience of coming across old photos of people we don't recognize. Who are these people? Why are they in our family album? Are they our relatives? In many cases the sad truth is that these questions are never asked until it is too late.

A person's journey deserves to be brought to life, captured, shared and preserved.

This, I believe, is our true legacy.

A while ago I was at a friend's place for dinner. His siblings, nieces, nephews and parents were gathered around the table. Because I am naturally curious about people's lives I started to ask my friend's parents how they met, what
it was like dating and who proposed marriage to whom, and so on.

As they spoke I could see that the rest of the family was intrigued. As I asked more questions the intrigue turned to amazement. They had never known that their parents, who were from the Netherlands, had starved during WW II or that their father had hid in the attic lest the German's would capture him or that their aunt had been part of the Dutch resistance and, most shocking of all to their family, the confession that they had lived together before being married.