Before a world where our pictures could be stored on tiny, handheld devices, we used to print them.
On actual paper.
And we could hold them in our hands and turn them over and write names and dates on the back.
Most of you in my audience come from generations where you remember this phenomenon.
(You can thank me later for not using the world "old" in that sentence)
Over the last few months, I've spent a lot of time going through printed pictures.
Pictures of my family and my mom as I work on creating a photo book and poster board for her memorial in a few weeks.
Pictures of my classmates in elementary school, captured in a colorful photo album, eye-catching in its shades of red, yellow and orange.
Pictures of the trips I took in college to Mexico for a Spanish immersion course and my first spring break trip to Myrtle Beach.
I've been "digitizing" some of them by taking pictures of these pictures with my iPhone. It's amazing the quality of pictures this phone takes!
The picture I've attached to this blog is a picture of a picture of the view from our condo on Myrtle Beach, Spring Break 1995. You can faintly see my reflection if you look closely enough.
I've actually been a little surprised by how much I seem to have forgotten about my life before this moment in time.
So many of the pictures made me smile and think to myself, "I forgot all about that!"
Lots of memories, a few moments where I realized how fleeting life really is, and a tear or two thrown in for good measure.
Taking pictures of these pictures also made me think about the distance between where I am now and who I was during those moments.
Two layers between me and the person I was back then.
And years of experiences, decisions and challenges that shaped who I have become.
The colors of the photos are muted compared to the vibrant ones of today.
My memories of those days are muted too.
New memories and knowledge have taken over my brain, leaving only space for the most impactful things that happened to me back then.
But when I look back at those pictures, I see through those layers.
I see that girl from my childhood, quiet and introspective, lost in her books and her writing.
I see that young woman on her first spring break trip, soaking up the beach and the music and the adventure with her friends.
I see that student embracing the experience of being in an entirely different country. Seeing parts of the world she had never seen before.
And looking back at myself, on the other end of the camera taking a picture of each picture, I see the woman I've become.
I think it's important for us to spend time reflecting on our lives. Looking at our world through the lens that we've formed, but also from two steps away.
Take some time to pull out your pictures, or go through your digital library.
Ask yourself a few questions:
Who were you back then?
How has your life changed the way you view those moments from your past?
See your story through the pictures you've captured. Remember the forgotten moments that rise up from the paper or the screen.
Allow yourself to reflect on how all of these moments in your life add up to where you are today.
Be proud. Be grateful. Be sad if that's what the pictures make you feel.
But above all else, be YOU. And embrace all of the parts of you, even the imperfect ones.
They say pictures are worth a 1,000 words. I tend to agree with that.
Wonder how much a picture of a picture is worth?
Visit my author page at: author.to/michellelsmith
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