Digging Into the Past

Keeping track of the past is important. This was highlighted to me more than ever when my mom sent over an envelope of old family pictures. Inside are snapshots of her mom, my grandmother, extended family, friends. Most of the pictures are from a time long before I was alive.One recurring image was of this guy who was clearly having a great time. On the back of each photograph, in my grandmother’s hand, it said “Eddie.” This, it turns out, was my Grandma’s brother.

Eddie. Why don’t I know about Eddie?

I called my mom and we’re in the early stages of planning a trip to visit my Great Aunt Ceil to learn more about her brother, Eddie. The Eddie who is running around with friends having great laughs. The Eddie is the star of every image he’s in. The Eddie who clearly you’d want to hang out with.

One of my friends, Mike, does a great job of taking pictures at parties and sending printed copies to everyone. I aspire to that type of recording of memories. I want someday for someone to be able to look through images and say, “This Kate… she looks like someone I’d like to know.”

If stuff stays stored on cameras, photo sharing sites and social media, it may be lost forever. Paper shouldn’t last that long, but it can. It can be an artifact of your life. Proof of your existence.

This post was inspired by Dead Wake by Erik Larson, a thrilling account of Lusitania’s last voyage across the Atlantic Ocean and the U-boat that attacked it. Join From Left to Write on March 26th as we discuss Dead Wake. As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes.

This post originally appeared on Kate’s Point of View. © Kate. All rights reserved.