I have a row of pictures on the wall in my hallway. These are all 5x7 prints in matching frames. It became somewhat of a habit to periodically change the pictures following certain events or happenings. These photos were generally the grandkids, its what grandparents do you know. Birthdays, soccer, dance, awards, graduations, vacations, and any number of "events" put on display. I was looking at them yesterday and thought, time to change the pictures. Then I realized there haven't been any "events" in a while. Graduations are over. Mark already graduated college and Morgan has another two or three years to go. There are no more games, no award presentations, no dances and we haven't been out with the grands in a while. The grandkids have become, well, people! They go to work and have a life separate from ours! There are no picture taking moments! It isn't that they aren't "cute" anymore, but those snapshots just aren't what you put on the wall at this juncture in time.
A few years back I did have a lot of pictures on my walls surrounding my computer desk. There were all very close together, in some instances touching each other, and covered the entire wall. Those pictures were mostly ancestors. A lot of black and white pictures, lots of faces staring down at you. Initially I was quite pleased with the effect. It certainly caught your attention when you entered the room. It was almost like entering a gallery, or a museum. I took them all down when it was time to rearrange the room and put on a fresh coat of paint. I haven't put them back. I can't decide whether I want to do that or not. Whereas I did enjoy them they did create somewhat of a somber mood on occasion. Maybe some of that was the lighting.
Working on my latest project, scanning and organizing over 500 slides that belonged to my Wifes' Uncle George, has made me think about that. I look at each picture taken, the majority of the people I can't identify. In some it's Christmas, the tree in the background and toys are spread about. I know the occasion. In others they are posed in their finest clothing, Easter perhaps? Many I can only speculate about, birthday, anniversary, a holiday, or a simple house party. What was the occasion, the event? There are some vacation photos, identified simply as Florida. There are some of Uncle George himself, but a precious few. Uncle George took pictures of his mom toward the end of her life. She was in a nursing home, aged and frail, rather a sad sight to see. I feel a bit guilty looking at those pictures, they were for Uncle George to see and no one else, that's my thought. Those pictures were for his memory, not mine.
I take a lot of photographs but few selfies. I print more pictures than the average younger person would today. Of course, back in the day you had to print them in some fashion to see them! Kids today will never know the excitement of waiting to get your film back. The fun of seeing how the pictures "came out." They won't know the disappointment of spending their money to discover the pictures didn't come out. We also saved the negatives, just in case. We might want to have prints made one day. I don't believe I have ever done that. But just yesterday I made a print from one of Uncle George's slides! Yes, I have that technology. He would be amazed, I think. A good number of those slides were taken using Kodachrome film. The very last roll of that film was produced in 2009. Paul Simon wrote a song about using Kodachrome. He begged; Momma don't take my Kodachrome away.
Today we don't have Kodachrome or slides. Strangely we use computers to create a slide show, just not slides. Many of us have never purchased a roll of film of any kind. Do you remember seeing any in the stores you shop today? I haven't looked but I'm guessing they still sell film somewhere. Must have been some years back but I do remember buying those disposable cameras for the kids when they went to camp. Must have been before they had cell phones. And now when I listen to the ads for a cell phone it is usually centered around the camera. Have you noticed that? We have the ability to easily take an almost unlimited number of photographs. I'm certain there have been more pictures taken of what people are eating today than all the Kodachrome pictures of Thanksgiving combined. Today everything is an occasion or an event. The only question being, how many will be around fifty, sixty or a hundred years or more from now.
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