Not All Clutter is the Same
For those of us who have been around the block a few times, we remember the pre-digital days when we could actually hold a photo in our hand. When visiting Grandma’s place, we could curl up on the floor and sift through the box full of images from generations who came before us.
Yes, the box was dusty and full of physical clutter. But at least there were a few notes scribbled on the back to give us a clue about their identities. We could hold it in out hand and go ask the grown-ups to tell us about them.
Digital Curse
In our digital day, there seems to be a curse on holding on to our family history with visual images. While storing digital images ” in the cloud” may seem like it will protect them, there is a down side. Who has access to them? Can they be shared with the next generation? or the generation after that? The answer can be ‘yes’ IF and ONLY IF you put some time and thought into it. Without that they can just be vanishing memories.
Digital Gift
One small but important digital gift when it comes to sharing family stories is VOICE. Today’s cell phones that most everyone always carries with them typically have a fairly good voice recorder. Next time you are blessed to be around your dear Uncle Roy (or whomever), take a minute to record him telling that corny story that he loves to tell. Better yet, turn on the phone’s video recorder and capture his image as well as his voice.
IMPORTANT: Also take time to figure out how you can share your digital images with the next generation or the one after that.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING