Photos From My Grandparents The Xavierite
It’s well known that we are heavily reliant on our phones and the culture of taking photos. Even though many people will say it’s better to live in the moment, I have grown to love looking back at old photos. I want to have a tangible memory library to hold onto forever.
About a year ago I was terrible at taking pictures. I’d always be caught up in the moment and forget to take out my phone. Back in April of 2023 I took a trip to California. Coming back home, I realized I only took a few pictures.
I spent a week there with my family and saw many beautiful sights, including numerous beaches and the famous Hollywood sign. Additionally we went to Disneyland, staying until night for the beautiful firework show.
But by the end of the trip, I regreted not taking more photos to look back on and talk about.
Sure, I had an amazing time without the distractions of my phone. I felt absolute bliss watching the sunsets and smelling the salt of the sea. But now the images are slowly fading away from my memory.
I understand that taking out my phone can disconnect me from the experience of being in nature with beautiful greenery and a lovely breeze. But, photographs are the only way for me to retain memories that I will sooner or later forget.
I know it’s impossible to remember every detail from an experience that happened to you months ago, let alone more than a year ago. Still it makes me sad to know that as I get older it will become harder to remember things.
During family gatherings at my grandparents house, they always made time to show us their envelope of photos. It was a thick stack of pictures that showed all of my family members at different ages.
It always led to a great number of laughs and endless stories. Some stories I’d heard for the hundredth time, but others were unheard of. It brought over heavy feelings of sonder learning about my relatives lives.
My moms eyes lit up at every photo as she remembered a small moment in time from so long ago. It also brought a smile to my face to witness the joy of a moment I wasn’t there for.
I even came across photos of me as a child, which I ended up taking to keep. Now they sit on my vanity, sweet mementos I see every morning as I get ready for my day.
Back then, photos could only be stored physically. Now, we can store memories on our phones, harddrives, and computers. Photography is more accessible than ever, and we shouldn’t take that for granted.
Being able to look back at my life visually has been an important source of inspiration. I’m able to remind myself of how much I’ve grown during times of struggle. Knowing that I am capable of achieving things. It’s one thing to think about it, but another to actually see it.
During my senior year of high school, I started photographing all that I could. There was nothing I could lose from doing this. If anything, I ended up gaining a new hobby.
I took my moms old digital camera and took pictures of all my friends, family and the places I visited. I wanted to have my own envelope of photos just like my grandparents did.
I developed a new appreciation for the world. I noticed so much more about its beauty. With every picture I took, my gratitude for the power of photography grew.
It is a privilege to be able to take a moment and hold onto it for future generations to see. We don’t always have to take photos, but it’s our duty to catalog our lives and leave a mark on history.