Summer’s going by so quickly!
It’s hard to keep up with the fast pace of the world today, don’t you agree? Just when I think I’ve ‘entered the 21st Century’ by learning a new skill (usually a form of technology), something newer is introduced and I’m running to catch up once again.
It’s a good thing that I’m committed to informing you of the latest and greatest resources. It motivates me to stay on top of my game.
| Say CHEESE (without the guilt)! |
 So we’ve all been taking photos and movies since we were kids. Some of us have those photos neatly tucked away in albums; the most creative of us have clever displays in scrapbooks!
There’s been so much innovation in the field of photography in recent years; now our photos come on CD’s and we can save them all to our computer. But are you feeling pangs of guilt because these precious memories aren’t being properly showcased? Do you have physical snapshots that haven’t made it into albums yet? Still have all those great old movies on VHS or 8mm instead of DVDs? Don’t have time to scrapbook? Wish someone could just take over? Have I got some great resources for you! – First of all, you can haul your boxes of photos to Midway Training where skilled and supervised employees with developmental disabilities will scan your photos to CDs. – Saving Tape will not only transfer your VHS or 8/16mm movies to CD’s… they can even add your narrative! – Wish you could delegate the artistic process? “I Hate Scrapping” to the rescue where two lovely women in Bloomington will create meaningful photo arrangements and have them printed in bound books (you can even order duplicates)! – Lastly, History Crafters or Just A Pipe Dream can take the whole process a huge step further; they’ll interview you or your loved ones to get the story behind the photos and create an heirloom book to last more than a lifetime. I’ve either recently used or will soon utilize all of these resources. I hope you give their respective websites a ‘look-see’. Your memories will be preserved forever and your guilt will be long gone! |
Now it’s time to look at your loose photos. Create a box (or envelope) for each particular chunk of time – let’s say ‘by decade’ to start: 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and the first ten years of the new millennium (what would you call that?!)
Maybe you can’t remember what year the picture was taken but you might remember where you lived at the time or some other time-related fact. Just start putting as many photos in their corresponding boxes as you can. For the ones you just can’t be sure of yet, leave them aside; later you may find that something will jog your memory and you’ll just intuitively know where they belong.
An alternate approach to organizing photos would be according to subject or season e.g., all birthday celebrations or all holiday snapshots together.
How ever you feel compelled to sort your backlog of photos, the main thing is to begin. Just get started and you’ll gain momentum. And here’s a friendly reminder: perfectionism only leads to paralysis. Don’t let it stop you from enjoying the process. Have fun with your memories of a lifetime!
And as I sign off, please remember…
being organized is just another way of being prepared. With simple and sustainable systems in place, you can prepare your home for guests, prepare your office for productivity, prepare your life for fun and relaxation! But don’t forget to…
Leave a Reply