September 23, 2019
12:07 p.m.

Over the last few years--probably since the beginning of the new millennium--I have become the photographic documentarian of the family. I have tried very hard to be present for special occasions; births, weddings, holidays and reunions have come to hold a special place in my heart, and I feel a need to leave some sort of memory footprint behind each one. 

The picture above is actually a rarity--my mother, me and my grandmother in a photograph together. The occasion was my own wedding day, but that's not relevant. What is relevant is the fact that there are not more photos like this.

Yes, I find pictures of my parents and grandparents all the time, but I'm not with them in very many of them. Part of the reason may be that I don't particularly like being the subject in a photo. I'd much rather be behind the camera. But the other reason is we didn't seem to feel it was important to leave those memory footprints behind when I was younger. There was always going to be another day, another opportunity to take a quick snapshot. 

I have so many memories of spending time with my grandparents, but very few photos to look at and see that we were actually there, together, spending quality time. I wish now that there were a lot more. 

I guess that's the reason I do take the time to pose for pictures with my children and grandchildren now, even when I'd rather be out of the shot and behind the lens. Someday, they may want to see some evidence that I was there with them. 

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4:07 p.m.

Speaking of photographs, I have spent hours now (not all in one day, mind you) looking for one particular photo. It's driving me nuts. 

And now, I found some photos from a 1991 reunion, and I know there are more, but do you think I can find those? Nope. They are probably scanned on my computer in Denver, which is dying a slow and noisy death. Thank heaven I have them backed up on another driver. Wherever that is.

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Since I have blabbed away about photos, can I just ask you readers, how do you manage your own photographs? Do you just maintain albums of prints and store your digitals on the cloud? Do you scan old photos and save them on a device or a DVD? Do you print your digital photos? Please let me know in the comments.

I'm off in search of the rest of those reunion photos. Wish me luck!

Until we meet again!