So, I've been on an endless hunt for miscellaneous tax papers. As mundane and depressing as that sounds, I have had a few heartwarming discoveries.
When my son was born in '02, we went out and bought a tape recorder. That was about 1 month before they released the digital ones, of course. We used that recorder a lot, but it got buried in the closet when we got our digital cameras, which could record movies as well. The new cameras are 1/3 of the size of the tape recorder, so they got more use. Honestly, I thought the old recorder was gone. I had not seen it for a couple years. My husband found it the other day. It seemed like somebody was giving us a message as we began finding tapes, as well, one after another in totally different places. So, for the past week, we've been going over the tapes and ooohing and ahhhing over what we found. Last night I found the very first tape we ever made with the camera, which included footage of my brand-new baby son. Eight years after the fact, seeing his round little cheeks and pearly little teeth still made me tear up. My son was one of the un-lucky ones, in that he got chicken pox from the baby-sitters before he was a year old. (chicken pox immunizations are after 1 yr). His poor little pepperoni face. I actually had problems enrolling him in school, because his immunization chart did not have the pox shot on it. I told them twenty times that the poor boy had already had chicken pox, but they kept sending me letters that I was in violation of Ky state statute# blah, blah, blah. I finally tracked the lady down sending me the letters, and showed her the picture above. "Oh," she said stupidly. "Well I was only doing my job." Yea, whatever lady.
Back to the original point. The movies. I had forgotten that his little face was not the only place he had the sores. They were all over his little bod. And I had captured it all on video tape. As well as him trying to eat the cat by the tail, peeing in the swimming pool, and mudrunning in his walker with his brand new tennis shoes. I also found footage of bringing Moose, the mini, home. Annie, our 10 year old dog, was bright and lively in the film. Now age is beginning to tell on her, and her bones are too tired to be bright and lively anymore. I don't think it's going to be long before the tapes are all we have of her.
That is why the tapes are so important. Digital is wonderful and amazing, but for me, you cannot replace physical pictures. Now that I've seen the tapes, I can probably put them away for a couple of years before nostalgia urges me to get them out again.
I told my husband that I'm going to continue to use the recorder, because we still have brand new tapes yet to be used. I don't know why they seem more precious to me, but they do. My husband asked me several days ago what I would want to take from a burning house. Without hesitation, I told him my pictures. Of family and friends, and every important event that ever happened.
Those are my riches.
Night.
When my son was born in '02, we went out and bought a tape recorder. That was about 1 month before they released the digital ones, of course. We used that recorder a lot, but it got buried in the closet when we got our digital cameras, which could record movies as well. The new cameras are 1/3 of the size of the tape recorder, so they got more use. Honestly, I thought the old recorder was gone. I had not seen it for a couple years. My husband found it the other day. It seemed like somebody was giving us a message as we began finding tapes, as well, one after another in totally different places. So, for the past week, we've been going over the tapes and ooohing and ahhhing over what we found. Last night I found the very first tape we ever made with the camera, which included footage of my brand-new baby son. Eight years after the fact, seeing his round little cheeks and pearly little teeth still made me tear up. My son was one of the un-lucky ones, in that he got chicken pox from the baby-sitters before he was a year old. (chicken pox immunizations are after 1 yr). His poor little pepperoni face. I actually had problems enrolling him in school, because his immunization chart did not have the pox shot on it. I told them twenty times that the poor boy had already had chicken pox, but they kept sending me letters that I was in violation of Ky state statute# blah, blah, blah. I finally tracked the lady down sending me the letters, and showed her the picture above. "Oh," she said stupidly. "Well I was only doing my job." Yea, whatever lady.
Back to the original point. The movies. I had forgotten that his little face was not the only place he had the sores. They were all over his little bod. And I had captured it all on video tape. As well as him trying to eat the cat by the tail, peeing in the swimming pool, and mudrunning in his walker with his brand new tennis shoes. I also found footage of bringing Moose, the mini, home. Annie, our 10 year old dog, was bright and lively in the film. Now age is beginning to tell on her, and her bones are too tired to be bright and lively anymore. I don't think it's going to be long before the tapes are all we have of her.
That is why the tapes are so important. Digital is wonderful and amazing, but for me, you cannot replace physical pictures. Now that I've seen the tapes, I can probably put them away for a couple of years before nostalgia urges me to get them out again.
I told my husband that I'm going to continue to use the recorder, because we still have brand new tapes yet to be used. I don't know why they seem more precious to me, but they do. My husband asked me several days ago what I would want to take from a burning house. Without hesitation, I told him my pictures. Of family and friends, and every important event that ever happened.
Those are my riches.
Night.
Jennifer, what a treasure trove you found! I love pictures too.
ReplyDelete