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| From one media to another |
Movie cameras shrank from complicated monsters with four blinding headlights to hand-held quiet 8mm cameras, capturing the silliness of my era.
We were the hippy generation, the postwar baby boomers. Long straight hair and ‘hot pants’ were the style; leisure suits were dressing up. We documented our life together with photo and film.
We were the hippy generation, the postwar baby boomers. Long straight hair and ‘hot pants’ were the style; leisure suits were dressing up. We documented our life together with photo and film.
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| Hot babe |
At Christmas 2012, I arranged to transfer a big box of 8 mm film to DVD, with my narration and background music.
From our early marriage days, through our children era, and then to the mid 90s, I soon found myself smiling big and a little teary. I don’t know what reaction I expected from our now adult kids. Oh, Mom! These are so great! Thank you so much!
From our early marriage days, through our children era, and then to the mid 90s, I soon found myself smiling big and a little teary. I don’t know what reaction I expected from our now adult kids. Oh, Mom! These are so great! Thank you so much!
Because we were diligent in recording our history and obsessive about keeping those films, we have a new position in the minds of our grown children:
We are their source of INFINITE JEST.
What we did get were peals of laughter, OMG-dad-you-were-such-a-geek, and LOL-mom-you-were-so-hot.
Our grandchildren will have hours of diversion and entertainment with our visual legacy to our progeny.
Hours and hours of infinite jest. Yes, our legacy is digital.
At least you have a legacy to leave.
ReplyDeleteMy parents have largely disappeared, and their parents most definitely have...
Oh. I am so sorry.
DeleteAs we were going through old pictures after our mother died my brother picked up a photo and began to leer. "Who is this?" H egot all excited at the 'babe' he was looking at. I took a quick peek. I said, "That's your mother, you pervert!" I love looking at old pictures.
ReplyDeleteThat is kinda what our kids said as well. What did he say?!
DeleteHe gave a rather sheepish "Oh".
DeleteI think I paid $4.99 to record 3 minutes of history. then $5 to develop it. We moved the camera too much to try to record everything. Home movvies
ReplyDeleteNeed to buy a digital scanner to take care of the boxes of photos we have. New ones can copy them so fast.
DeleteHome movies didn't take off in Australia like they did over there. I don't know anyone who has entire years of family life stored on film. Not even photos. I have a couple of albums of my siblings and myself as youngsters and a few more of my kids as youngsters, but that's about it.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, maybe it was that they were too expensive, we took a lot of movies. When I gathered up all those reels, it completely filled a grocery bag.
DeleteAt the time, I grumbled about spending money but now I am so glad we did.
haha at least you can provide them with jest...and of course lots of great memories.
ReplyDeleteWell, maybe someday they will see them also as a record of them.
DeleteFunny! Times past look silly to the next generation. At least you recorded them.
ReplyDeleteI am so envious and pleased that you recorded your history and your children thanked you for keeping their history. What a wonderful gift.
DeleteIn my way of thinking, they will thank us.
DeleteI have ONE photo of my grandparents (who raised me from birth), so I am a bit jealous. I record everything. I take photos, made VCR tapes, and now digital. I have NO one to leave it to, so when I'm gone all that will go to the Goodwill or the trash can.
ReplyDeleteNooo. Those will be of interest to someone else.
DeleteNow every phone has one.
ReplyDeleteAnd the phone cameras are better than could have been imagined 10 years ago.
DeleteMy rich uncle used to take 8-mm, three minute movies when I was growing up. I had them transferred to a tape and later on my brother put them onto a CD. DVDs are passe’ now and so I guess, are my memories. That may be for the best.
ReplyDeleteI am used to my kids using me as a fodder for laughs. I enjoy it as it is never cruel, but done lovingly. It sounds like it is the same for yours.
Hang onto them. Someday, your kids and their kids will play them and see what their family had been like.
ReplyDeleteEvery generation is ridiculous in hindsight. Mine is. My daughter's will be one day, too.
ReplyDeleteI always told that to my daughter, that payback was a-comin'.
DeleteDear Susan, maybe the only way the younger generation can forge its own path is to make jest at the generation that trod the earth before them. I don't know, but I'm sure that we've probably done a little of this. Peace.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, behind their backs!
DeleteGreat idea to have these old photos and videos. I have also written a personal "life story" of my youth, where we lived, what schools I attended, describing life back then, and including family trees and stories I learnt from my parents. One day they'll make good reading for future generations.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Interesting reading, knowing the author as we do!
DeleteI had the movies my dad took transferred to digital The pleasure of seeing loved ones long gone again. Priceless
ReplyDeleteThere is a sweetness of seeing parents and children from 50 years ago.
DeleteI remember those dresses. Hope there are no pictures of me wearing one!
ReplyDeleteSomewhere there will be photos, just heads up.
DeleteOf course you were the “hot” one and still are. You’ve given your family a wonderful gift that will be shared for generations.
ReplyDeleteJulie
Yup, that was me. I made the outfit, felt cool.
DeleteIt sure is a great way to preserve the past for our kids and theirs. All my photos are digitally saved now. I rarely did any video, wasn't a fan.
ReplyDeleteMy husband's parents recorded much of the big events of their lives, my husband and siblings. Mom K had volumes of albums and we all are going through them.
DeleteWe have many photographs but no videos, although I have taken a couple recently on my phone of the grandchildren!
ReplyDeleteIt is wonderful to pass on photographs down the generations.
All the best Jan
I have many photos going back to the 1880s. Having those give me a sense of who my ancestors were.
DeleteWhat a wonderful way to pass down your family history.
ReplyDeleteI like to think so.
DeleteIt's great that you've been able to preserve all that. My brother managed to get my mom's slides (and older pictures back to the '50s) digitized. Then he uploaded them to Google, and now the whole family has access (via our phones!). They're laughing now, but later, they'll really appreciate these.
ReplyDeleteGod bless him!
Deleteyou are fortunate to save your beautiful moments my friend :)
ReplyDeleteyou children can peek back into your life whenever they want at least
i have only some photos of my precious parents and they value most with all i have