The electronic picture era is here to stay.
Downloading, uploading, scanning, cropping.
Digital cameras, digital frames.
Camera phones, camera phone videos, tagging photos.
No more film, no more VHS tape recordings.
No more negatives, slides, or projectors.
No more Polaroids, they faded anyway.
There once was a day we sat with family,
usually a holiday of some nature.
Uncle Bob would drag out a projector, the pull up screen.
The curtains were drawn, lights turned off,
We would sit around the screen waiting for the big reel to roll.
Some one would yell out, "There's Aunt Mame, God rest her soul."
And then a Santa with a big red bag would appear.
"We always knew it was you Dad!"
We were hushed because little ones were present in the room.
"Look at all those candles," Grandma would always shout.
"Don't know why you kept trying to put them all on that cake.
I could never blow them all out anyhow."
"Is that me Mom? I must have been only 6 then,
because sis is just a chubby baby," I would ask.
That was the birthday we got our first TV set.
We got a real black and white picture
of that historic family event.
"Oh no you filmed my 30Th birthday?" Mom would question.
" Gosh I look so worn out, and old in this.
When did you ever take it?"
"Obviously when you were having that drink in your hand
and were to busy to notice!" Uncle Bob laughs,
And everyone in the room joins in the giggles.
"There's Grandpa on that one Christmas.
Remember Dad you took us to Church, and Santa came
While Mom was taking a bath!"
Dad and Mom agree, "That sure was a special Christmas alright."
My Dad squeezes her hand, and gives her a peck on the cheek.
Family times we'll all remember,
as they warm our hearts of times long past.
When MY children were little, birthdays were grand events.
And the camera never stopped clicking away.
There once was a party when my son invited
the entire Kindergarten class, without my knowledge.
And the kids kept coming, and coming, and coming.
My girlfriend and I were getting out the lunch bags,
scrounging around for goodies to put in the 20 extra bags.
Our inside games, became outside games.
Pieces of cake became smaller,
and on paper plates with flowered borders.
We ran out of the Spider Man plates after piece number 8.
No child complained,
all the laughter confirmed how much fun was had by all.
I collapsed after the last child was picked up.
And the rolls of films went to the drugstore the next day.
Then there was another son's 11Th Birthday.
It had to be grand;
we were going through a tough time in our lives.
So I put on my "Think Originality" cap.
We came up with an awesome party plan.
11 kids were invited.
The party would last 1,100 minutes,
and we would do 11 things.
There was a scavenger hunt for 11 items.
We went to 7/11 to get 11 slushies, and rented 11 movies.
Actually ordered 11 pizzas,
Then an 11 minute hopping contest for 11 candy bars.
We had 11 different kinds of soda, and 11 grab bags.
Then I told eleven jokes, as they politely laughed, or groaned.
I think my son was a little humiliated at my lack of comedy skills.
And I went to bed at eleven o'clock,
knowing I had to cook 11 pancakes for eleven boys,
before they would be picked up at 11:11 am.
Again, many rolls of film were sent off the next day.
To be transformed into double copies, of paper memories.
Dozens of other birthdays are frozen, not just in memory,
but in a gazillion photos, and of course the gazillion negatives.
There was my daughters birthday date with her Dad, when she was 5.
He bought her a corsage, and she wore her best dress.
A little girl in pony tails and bows, grinning from ear to ear,
safely in the arms of her proud, smiling Daddy.
A picture that I will never forget taking, and never tire of looking at.
When my other daughter turned 16, we planned a secret adventure.
It was just her 2 best friends, and we were off to a secret destination.
It irritated her, thinking we would "totally embarrass" her.
There was a trip to the city, then a fun feast at Ed Debevic's Restaurant.
Then a giggling night, sharing stories, in a fancy hotel.
And shooting crazy pics in matching hot pink PJ's, and cowgirl hats.
The next day a trip to the pier, and a movie at the IMAX theater.
We even got a big "Thanks guys" after that one.
It overwhelms me to think of all the boxes in my closet,
in albums, in drawers and negatives EVERYWHERE.
New technology has developed ways to preserve,
but for me, not to "user friendly."
Sometimes I am fearful my memories will fail me.
There is an urgency to learn these new ways.
Making memorable times for my own family, and grandchildren.
For me it was special times in front of a projector screen,
For them it will be waiting, while a little chip is inserted into a TV.
For now, at this moment, I will live, play, and rest,
With my family, and our memories under my roof.
In an indescribable way, that brings comfort to my soul,
They are always close at hand,
To look at, to rub my fingertips over their faces,
and to remember with blurred vision,
that "Life has been Good"
Downloading, uploading, scanning, cropping.
Digital cameras, digital frames.
Camera phones, camera phone videos, tagging photos.
No more film, no more VHS tape recordings.
No more negatives, slides, or projectors.
No more Polaroids, they faded anyway.
There once was a day we sat with family,
usually a holiday of some nature.
Uncle Bob would drag out a projector, the pull up screen.
The curtains were drawn, lights turned off,
We would sit around the screen waiting for the big reel to roll.
Some one would yell out, "There's Aunt Mame, God rest her soul."
And then a Santa with a big red bag would appear.
"We always knew it was you Dad!"
We were hushed because little ones were present in the room.
"Look at all those candles," Grandma would always shout.
"Don't know why you kept trying to put them all on that cake.
I could never blow them all out anyhow."
"Is that me Mom? I must have been only 6 then,
because sis is just a chubby baby," I would ask.
That was the birthday we got our first TV set.
We got a real black and white picture
of that historic family event.
"Oh no you filmed my 30Th birthday?" Mom would question.
" Gosh I look so worn out, and old in this.
When did you ever take it?"
"Obviously when you were having that drink in your hand
and were to busy to notice!" Uncle Bob laughs,
And everyone in the room joins in the giggles.
"There's Grandpa on that one Christmas.
Remember Dad you took us to Church, and Santa came
While Mom was taking a bath!"
Dad and Mom agree, "That sure was a special Christmas alright."
My Dad squeezes her hand, and gives her a peck on the cheek.
Family times we'll all remember,
as they warm our hearts of times long past.
When MY children were little, birthdays were grand events.
And the camera never stopped clicking away.
There once was a party when my son invited
the entire Kindergarten class, without my knowledge.
And the kids kept coming, and coming, and coming.
My girlfriend and I were getting out the lunch bags,
scrounging around for goodies to put in the 20 extra bags.
Our inside games, became outside games.
Pieces of cake became smaller,
and on paper plates with flowered borders.
We ran out of the Spider Man plates after piece number 8.
No child complained,
all the laughter confirmed how much fun was had by all.
I collapsed after the last child was picked up.
And the rolls of films went to the drugstore the next day.
Then there was another son's 11Th Birthday.
It had to be grand;
we were going through a tough time in our lives.
So I put on my "Think Originality" cap.
We came up with an awesome party plan.
11 kids were invited.
The party would last 1,100 minutes,
and we would do 11 things.
There was a scavenger hunt for 11 items.
We went to 7/11 to get 11 slushies, and rented 11 movies.
Actually ordered 11 pizzas,
Then an 11 minute hopping contest for 11 candy bars.
We had 11 different kinds of soda, and 11 grab bags.
Then I told eleven jokes, as they politely laughed, or groaned.
I think my son was a little humiliated at my lack of comedy skills.
And I went to bed at eleven o'clock,
knowing I had to cook 11 pancakes for eleven boys,
before they would be picked up at 11:11 am.
Again, many rolls of film were sent off the next day.
To be transformed into double copies, of paper memories.
Dozens of other birthdays are frozen, not just in memory,
but in a gazillion photos, and of course the gazillion negatives.
There was my daughters birthday date with her Dad, when she was 5.
He bought her a corsage, and she wore her best dress.
A little girl in pony tails and bows, grinning from ear to ear,
safely in the arms of her proud, smiling Daddy.
A picture that I will never forget taking, and never tire of looking at.
When my other daughter turned 16, we planned a secret adventure.
It was just her 2 best friends, and we were off to a secret destination.
It irritated her, thinking we would "totally embarrass" her.
There was a trip to the city, then a fun feast at Ed Debevic's Restaurant.
Then a giggling night, sharing stories, in a fancy hotel.
And shooting crazy pics in matching hot pink PJ's, and cowgirl hats.
The next day a trip to the pier, and a movie at the IMAX theater.
We even got a big "Thanks guys" after that one.
It overwhelms me to think of all the boxes in my closet,
in albums, in drawers and negatives EVERYWHERE.
New technology has developed ways to preserve,
but for me, not to "user friendly."
Sometimes I am fearful my memories will fail me.
There is an urgency to learn these new ways.
Making memorable times for my own family, and grandchildren.
For me it was special times in front of a projector screen,
For them it will be waiting, while a little chip is inserted into a TV.
For now, at this moment, I will live, play, and rest,
With my family, and our memories under my roof.
In an indescribable way, that brings comfort to my soul,
They are always close at hand,
To look at, to rub my fingertips over their faces,
and to remember with blurred vision,
that "Life has been Good"
No comments:
Post a Comment