Flashback Friday

Unfortunately back in my time, film and processing cost money.  because of this we never did the kind of "Day In the Life Of" kind of random picture taking that would have been so special to see now.  In one of the few advances in technology that I can think of, digital pictures are virtually free today.  You can takes hundreds on an outing, sift through them, keep the good ones, and display them on the internet - all without any charge at all.  While it is true that camera sensors do have a finite lifespan, and copy  processing through Walgreen's cost money,  the home do-it-your-selfer can take pictures of their activity through a day absolutely free.  That's pretty cool.  

But back when I was a kid or young adult, the only picture taking we took was for Christmas cards or some other formal event.  I can't remember sitting around and hearing someone say with a Mickey Rooney "Let's put on a show!" enthusiasm - hey, "Let's take our pictures!"  

Today we have late high school/early college era family pictures that must have been done for one of Marj's homemade Christmas cards for this particular year.  The upper picture shows a smattering of snow on the ground so I'm guessing Thanksgiving break.  What makes it a bit strange for Marj's cards is because through the years the parents were not in the pictures, just the boys and whichever boxer was around.  But here she is.  Also, dating the picture can be narrowed a bit due to no dog being part of he action.  Archie, our first dog and the one who was with us for the most part growing up.   One morning as I was heading out to go to work for Uncle Ed, she was on the front sidewalk and I knew it would be her last day.  I'm not sure when Marj got Magic but it had to be in the first year or so of college so this pic was indeed, somewhere between junior-senior year in high school and the first year of college. 

Once again, the real mystery isn't the actual date but who took the pictures.  Was it Dorothy, our neighbor in Seaton, and who is still chugging along at 91?  

   

This is "Dot" one of Marj's closest friends, perhaps her best, and someone we still check in on when in Seaton.  When I was in Northlandia I stopped by to see her and her son Lance.  Great family friend and she has always taken an interest in us boys.  Don, her husband, owned the grocery store in Aledo and he died several years ago, way too young.  

If I have a regret, and who doesn't, it would have been to take more pictures of all of us in our natural habitat.  I'd love a picture of Phil in his bedroom playing that homemade baseball game, of the Wombie winding up and throwing a would-be base stealer out at 2nd with that rocket arm.  I'd love to have a picture of Marj when she went on one of those face-scrunching rants when one of us boys would get gross.  I'd love to have a picture of Herb down at the elevator on one of those Fall Friday nights when we were allowed to stay down there until midnight while he was drying corn.  I'd love to have a picture of Ivan Ewing's face when the first cherry bomb went off over at Buster Board's eaves.  I'd love to have a picture of that roadkill badger that we hoisted at the bank with a blank check wrapped in its claw.  Or the picnic tables that we placed at the roads going in and out of Seaton that night when we seceded from the Union.  Or a picture of me baling hay or shelling corn out at Uncle Ed's farm.  So many memories - so few pictures.  A Day In The Life.  Get your cameras out, guys, and document your loved ones and your lives - unposed - those pictures will be a comfort to you when you are older.