Don’t Look Back.
June 21, 2012
Hello
Recently I upset my parents by telling them that I had burnt a whole lot of photos that had been taken during my twenties.
As a twenty-something I used to move in fairly avant garde and artistic circles and since then I’ve carried around a shoe box full of photographs from that era.
A couple of weeks ago I burnt the lot.
I just didn’t want to be lugging around these memories from my past.
It had nothing to with whether they were good or bad memories, but more a conscientious decision on my part in that I see that nothing beneficial arises from dwelling on, or reflecting on the past.
So far, it has been quite an uplifting experience, although some might argue “what about the memories?”
And I guess my thinking is “well, what about them?”
22 Comments
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theguttertrash.com 
Its an interesting post reb. The yoof of today will have to make their own decisions eventually and I guess they will just close down whatever version of facebook we have then!
No burning, bit of a pity really! Just a quiet delete.
Hi Pete – delighted to see you’ve tracked me down.. 😉
Yes it’s a pity really isn’t it. A “quiet delete” doesn’t come anywhere close to the cathartic release that comes from a “sacrificial burning!!”
Yes hi reb, thought i should get a quiet post in before the rabble hit the issues…
I trust life is treating you well Pete, did you know that we’ve moved to Melbourne….?
No comment … I’ll wait for the rabble …
Yes, this interweb thing is a bit like stalking, I think everybody knows everything these days.
Anyway TB and Co, off you go now, please…
There was always good fun to be found from old photos, you would drag down that box of shots from Grandmas attic and everybody wanted them, at least for a look.
That certainly won’t happen any more, who is going to try and start up an old computer and look in the hard drive! Burn it to a CD? They are already stuffing up. And saving them online, how many of those places are going to go broke.
It seems to me that everything is for now these days and I wonder whether anything will last or if anybody will give a stuff.
Unthinkable for me.
I can’t destroy photos, they are precious memories even the bittersweet ones. Stick them in a box in the garage but never destroy anything. There’s always someone, an amateur historian in a family who is interested in the history and the stories of generations past.
save them for the people to come who will be really interested in the life and times of dailytrashreb.
A former girlfriend had a ceremonial burning of all things related to me. She really was quite difficult to get along with.
“the life and times of dailytrashreb.”
I really can’t imagine that anyone would be interested in reading about my meaningless, little inconsequential existence…
I suspect my epitaph will just read:
He was a WCP. The end.
G’day, Pete … (who’s Pete??)
_______________________________________
My Super 8 movies, VHS and digital videos and photos (both print and digital) are the history of my family … parents, kids, grandkids … a visual genealogy …
… and I agree with, KL … sometime after my demise, I’m sure there will be a great- great rellie who might find them interesting …
All my images are stored on two hard drives AND my computer … I’ve recently transferred all my old VHS videos to digital … about to do my Super 8 … digital is here for some time now … just the method of storage will improve (ie flash disk) …
(Maybe different lifestyles dictate our difference of opinion?)
(WTF is Pete??)
I am forced nightly to share a room with the noise emanating from the TV that is “The Block”. As reality TV goes, I guess it’s not so bad, you do get to learn a thing or two along the way.
A side story in this series has been the discovery of some old pictures behind a mantlepiece. I think historical records are invaluable.
By the way, Reb, what if you’re of such advanced age that all you have to look at is behind you, and there is very little in front. There is an increasing undercurrent of ageism in this place and I for one stand with the geriatrics in protest.
Hear hear young James.
After reading reb’s post we brought out the family archive box full to the brim and began to cull. Choosing only the most flattering or interesting shots and throwing out the rest, along with all the negs…surplus to requirement.
There is an increasing undercurrent of ageism in this place and I for one stand with the geriatrics in protest.
In this place specifically james or australia generally?
I love geriatrics, the passing down of oral history and a picture of life in times gone by, as hard and brutal as it was. There should be more of it [not in the glorification of an ideal, like the ANZACs, the truth].
You only have to visit Pt Arthur and places like that to know and reflect on the brutal days.
Talking about recorded history, when my sister and I travelled vic and SA on my mum’s family history quest this year [remember the cumquats] we went to a prison where my great great great whatever g’father was a juror. The museum had recorded a recipe from the day [1870’s]
“THE KNOCKER”
1/2 pint metho
1/2 cup cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon indian opium
2 gallons jamaican rum
1 gallon hot water
Stir well and stand for 24 hours in a strong crock.
That’s looking back!
on life in general:
A quote from an unknown source:
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body,
but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, champagne in the other, body thoroughly used up,
totally worn out and screaming, WOO HOO what a ride!”
I for one stand with the geriatrics in protest
Do we have geriatrics here? WTF!
“Do we have geriatrics here?”
Speak of the devil.
Speak of the devil.
Ma-a-a-te, you ARE NOT a geriatric … trust me, I know …
Yes TB something will come up better for storage than hard drive on computer and back up of that, as those things will fail in the end and everybody needs to back up what you have, maybe archival DVD (if that can be read in the future).
Most people will pretend to look after the old stuff but it will go as soon as something goes wrong. Hard drive fails, CD fails, house burns down, whatever.
Good cheery stuff.
Pete, only we older folk who grew up with music originally recorded on some sort of bakelite substance, then vinyl, cassettes, CD, and now flash disk … with nano tech on its way … really understand constant transfer of data …
Oops! Forgot the old reel-to-reel!