Sure, I’ve considered myself digitally “upgraded” for years now. Heck, I’m on at least my third digital camera, downloading the pics minutes after taking them, and all the cool stuff that comes along with that. However, until the last few days, I didn’t realize how truly un-digital I have been deep down. All of my old pictures have been fading away in the attic for years, roasting in summer and freezing in the winter. Yee gads, it’s downright photo abuse. However, being the top-notch procrastinator that I am (gotta brag here), I’ve just dreaded dealing with it all — sorting faded pictures, creating piles of different events, organizing them into albums, blech! It’s all too overwhelming.
Well, thankfully Sam’s upcoming school Patriotic Play was on the horizon with a simple request for pictures of military relatives. This became the figurative firecracker under my reluctant you-know-what. Yes, I was forced to climb those daunting attic steps and confront the dragons (i.e. photos) up there. And don’t you know it, it has been a downright amazing experience poring over them! It’s wild to relive so many fun times and see so many happy faces that I haven’t seen in years! (Even better, there is no need to relive the bad times because there are no pictures of them.)
As much as I love to write, it is so true that pictures can say 1,000 words, sometimes much more. The picture above is me in 1975 with my beloved “Mr. Lawrence,” who was like my third grandfather. When I about 6 and on vacation with my family up in Maine, I walked up to him and his wife and befriended them. (Apparently I had the gift of gab way back then, too.)
Well, we all kept in touch for ages after that. My family visited them several times a year at their farm in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts. The term “we” is used quite loosely here since my mother did all of the real keeping in touch, visit planning, and driving. Holy cow, just checked the distance on Google Maps, it was a two-and-a-half hour drive EACH WAY! Um, thanks, Mom! That was mighty kind of you!
Anyway I hadn’t thought much about Mr. Lawrence in about 30 years, maybe longer, until my mother mailed this shot along with some others to scan for Sam’s play. One glance at the photo above brought all those fond memories back, even the distinctively smooth feel of his skin. Looking back, that picture magically captures what a special bond we had.
Oh, there are so many other sweet old photos, random and long forgotten. Here’s my grandmother Marie, the matriarch better known as “Gramarie.” (She even had it on her license plate!)
