personal journaling 2025-09-19T22:13:01Z

The clatter of espresso machines and the murmur of conversations in that cramped Parisian café nearly drowned out my subject's words. I was interviewing Marie, a Holocaust survivor, for a documentary project, and every syllable felt sacred. My old phone recorder captured more background noise than her fragile voice, leaving me panicking about preserving history accurately. That sinking feeling – like watching precious memories dissolve into static – haunted me as I fumbled with settings. But des