Scanning Memories
As you already know, we are getting rid of everything that does not fit into the RV. One of the hardest parts has been sorting through memorabilia—pictures, photo albums, letters.
A friend of ours recently finished scanning all of his childhood photos for his family, and after seeing the results, we knew it was something we wanted to do too. A closet full of memories now fits in the palm of my hand on a memory bank. The physical pieces went into recycling and trash.
What a strange feeling.
This has been harder for Krissy than for me, but it helps knowing everything still exists in digital form.
With a scanner and a lot of time, I went through 45–46 years of life—mine, hers, and now ours. It was interesting to see the clear separation between life before we were together and life after. I even came across pictures of Krissy I had never seen before.
We’ve both changed—what I’d like to think is for the better—and it really is true that couples begin to mold into one over time.
When was the last time you went through your memory box? What does it say about you?
Some items brought memories back as if they were yesterday. Others… I couldn’t even place. It made me wonder why they felt important enough to keep in the first place.
If you know Krissy, her box was full of camp, AmeriCorps, and her first grown-up job at NECC, and the friendships she built there. Mine was more scattered—church camp, swimming, Gustavus, environmental education—but mostly centered around my time in Australia.
Our life together begins at Pine Ridge and carries through to today. One of the most meaningful items? A glow-in-the-dark sticker I got the night I met Krissy at a bar on St. Patrick’s Day.
There’s also a noticeable shift after a child. More pictures. More intention to capture time. Since Star joined our family, we’ve created yearbooks filled with our photos and adventures. They’ve become a timeline of what has shaped us. More recently, we’ve even started books focused on our National Park experiences.
Krissy is the kind of person who keeps friendships alive forever, but she relies on pictures to hold onto the memories. I’m different. I remember, but have friends in current time and place. Looking through these photos, left me with a small sense of loss—I haven’t stayed in touch with many of the people who shaped me. But I also know there is a piece of each of them still in who I am.
What does your memory book say about you?
What was—and still is—worth saving?
Who shaped you?
Shape your future with your past,
Anne
Dang it. Anne is spot on with these observations. Not talking to or hearing from people I have known forever is like a giant piece of me is missing. The fact is, life changes, and people grow and change. We all know this is a normal part of the evolution of life, but it is still hard for me. My life hasn’t alway been the sunshine and rainbows that it is today, and there are so many people that played a part it helping me overcome that bullshit - and grow into the woman I am today. Even if I don’t talk to them as much anymore, we will always know…what we know… and if you know, you know.
Oddly enough, this feels like a weight is lifted without the stuff. But I’m not a psychopath, we still have the memories, thanks to my awesome and incredibly patient wife for spending HOURS scanning everything. And really, it will be even easier to stroll down memory lane cause now they are electronic memories! lol
They were all scanned using a document scanner thing like this (although, truth be told, if I were to buy one vs borrowing this one, I would get this one instead) and everything was saved onto this external SSD - which for the record is a fantastic and rugged ssd and if you are like us and don’t know where life might take you, rugged is a requirement!
Also, isn’t it funny that neither of us drink much (although some of us more than others lol) and yet a light up guinness keepsake thing from a bar was saved for the last 22 years?? hahaha
Anyway, here’s to memories! Old ones that we hold close and new ones yet to be made.
Much love to you all, thanks for being here.
XO Krissy
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