Going Back... For The Future

This is me, I'm almost four years old in this picture. Since returning from New Hampshire I've begun organizing and documenting some of my parent's photos for them. I've got experience now, after doing my own a few years ago, it was a HUGE undertaking; I loved every minute of it! A task like this can be fun as well as time consuming... especially when each "gem" that surfaces, like this one, launches me on yet another trip down Memory Lane. That road, for me, is fraught with pitfalls; leading to many side streets and detours. I've had to become somewhat of an investigator when it comes to adding a date to these snapshots. This one was obviously taken in the summer, there are supporting photos taken in the same place at the same time. My mother is in a few of those and, given the fact that she's not expecting at the time, I can assign 1957 to this one with confident certainty; my sister was born in November of 1958. And so it goes... envelope after envelope, box after box.  I've set up two tables in the family room to sort through the piles. A lot of these pictures I've never seen before.

This one makes me laugh. I was six years old, my sister had just turned one. My mother was trying to capture a snapshot of the two if us for that year's Christmas card. I was instructed to sit still while Mom attempted to capture and postion the moving target dressed in pink organdy. My "job" was to hand my sister the little knick-knack in my hand as soon as her bottom hit the couch, all in an attempt to distract her long enough to snap off a few shots. I can still remember this, don't I look thrilled?

This was my third Christmas. Remember that earlier post about loving all things ironing related? I can now say with documented proof that I got a very early start. I would give anything to have this child's wooden ironing board today. I don't know what ever happened to that. I had a little toy iron too; and can proudly declare that my doll's clothes, blankets, etc. were always impeccably pressed!

There is one category of photos I'll need help documenting; cars.  This picture was taken at my grandparents' home, I am assuming this was their car. My Dad will know the year, model and make. I'm marking these with post-its for now, there are other car and truck photos that will await further identification, this is, by far, my weak area. 

I have just finished reading Nearing Home by Rev. Billy Graham. It's an excellent read for people of any age, it talks about the stages of life; I found it to be a book full of wisdom and hope. One theme that resonated in these pages is how things that we took for granted in our youth begin to take on new importance as we grow older. This is certainly true for me when it comes to photographs... all of a sudden I realized that if I didn't document the ones in my possession, who would know these people and places after I was gone, or could no longer remember; it was a matter of stewardship. In response to a world now drowning in the information flood, powered by devices equipped with more and more memory, the Rev. Graham writes: "Meanwhile the older generation is hanging on for dear life to the memories we have accumulated during our lifetimes, fearful we might forget the anchors that stabilized, the lighthouse that directed, the Word of God that calmed the treacherous waters." 

And so, I'm plugging on. Going back in time through these precious photographs, Sharpie in hand, adding names, places and dates with the lowest form of technology; saving it all... for the future.

Life is Good!