While up visiting for the funeral, my step-dad hands me a stack of photo albums Mom had been putting together since before I was born. I said to just ship them to me instead of trying to haul all that around on the busses. Today a heavy box showed up. I've looked through them all.
Mom has pictures I don't recall sending her. She would have had no way to get them except from me. There are pics of me and all my ex wives in a time-line order. After the first ex there are pics of me and the one I should have married and never met the last two. Of all these pics these are the ones that break my heart. We were both too stubborn to tell each other we loved each other - even after that one night she said she would have my babies. In those words. I'll never forget it. I guess I loved her then and still do. Too dam bad both of us were too stuck up to say it.
Besides all that, there must be every school picture ever taken. Sad to say but anyone could tell when I was not happy. I remember the times and causes of them all. No Alzheimer's here.
Talk about a blast from the up-close-and-personal past!!!
Not counting the generations before me. Many of which I remember. Not to many people ever know their great great grandparents much less remember them.
I'm just gob-smacked right now.
E.
In moving recently, I ran across all the photos that were taken during my prior marriage, when my kids were young. I guess they were left behind with me for safe keeping. I probably felt that they would have gotten thrown away otherwise.
It was a very emotional experience looking at those photos for the first time in probably 10 years. Things I had forgotten came back very quickly. Kind of weird how looking back on good times can make you sad. It was a very similar feeling to how I felt looking at pictures of loved ones that have passed away.
I quickly put them away and returned my focus to moving forward with a purpose and direction.
Your not going to get all teary eyed r u? 😉
Nah. Not teary eyed. Just broken-hearted for the one I should have married.
How's that REM song go? "This one goes out to the one I love. This one goes out to the one I left...behind."
The pictures in general are things I remember fondly and quite well. There are a couple of pics from when I was living in Brad Ott's town in fact.
I'm just surprised Mom had all these pics. It's like watching your entire life (almost 53 years for me) like a slide show.
I'm just in "WOW mode" right now.
E
I grew up looking forward to being old enough to attend buck hunting camp. You had to be 12 years old. All of the guys were old school. I was 17 when we took the last group photo. After that, older people got sick and passed away. Buck camp was not the same without them.
I ran across that picture as well. Amazing how a photo can take you back in time, even back to when you were 17. Pictures are a necessity for someone with a poor memory.
Pictures are fine. It's better when you find someone in person.
My cousin Jimmy is a bar (Barton Tap) manager and well loved by his boss.
His Dad, Uncle Jim, takes me out there one night. We're sitting at the bar
with drink and Jimmy and the other one are talking about this guy "Joe".
Then I put 2 and 2 together: "wait, are you all talking about Joe Burton?".
"Yeah, do you know him?"
Still not sure I ask "graduated in 78 and was the high school quarter back? Short stocky guy."
"yeah that's him!!!"
I couldn't believe it. Jimmy calls him the next day saying I was in town.
We didn't get back to the bar for a few days but there he was!!!!!
Just like I remembered him and same with him about me.
Him being the bar owner, needless to say, my money was no good that night.
I couldn't believe he remembered me. I haven't been to that town since around 74 or 75.
Next day me and Jim head down to the lake house that he and my other Uncle Greg share. No cold beer in the house so me and Jim head on down to the American Legion where he and Greg are both Adjuncts. Jim told/warned me I'd love these people.
He couldn't have more right. Within about an hour (probably less) I might as well been given my own Legion card.
One night we had a big steak supper thing with a band. Me and Greg made some money on the pool table. Some older fellers knew my Grandma & Grandpa from Flora (and bought me drinks). Did some dancing. Flirted big time with girls behind the bar.
Jim was absolutely right. They took me in like I was a regular without question.
A couple nights later after Mom's funeral we had a big cook out and pitches horseshoes and washers for many hours in to the wee night.
There is some of the story.
More to come at some point.
E.
Barb-Q, beer drinking, pitching shoes and washers....sounds a lot like what we do at gatherings around here. Good fun.
Washers is an especially good game for including the women and children (who are either intimidated by horse shoes or do not have the strength to make the long throw). It is an addicting game.
