Past is Prologue: Photographic Record

We've been talking recently (well, actually, it's just been me, the gentle reader has been quiet) about photographs and their value. In my mind, I drew a comparison between the photographs my parents took of me and those my daughter Heather takes of her children. Until I was about twelve or thirteen when I got my first camera, there are maybe a few dozen photos of me. That's OK, really, so there's a few gaps of a few years each - deal with it! I should be glad there are any at all!

Here's one taken of my Brother Dave and I when he was four and I was thirteen months.

He seems captivated by the fact I am choking the daylights out of a little clown doll. He's probably wondering if I plan to do the same to him. Yeah, you look a little scared, buddy! Pick at that grass all you want, it won't help! Hah!

You may recall I wrote a year ago about how I tracked down where these photos were taken by 'Lake' Ward. This is what that strip of grass looks like now.

There were few enough photos that I could do such tracking. Nowadays, of course, with the advent of digital (practically free) photography, Heather takes a few dozen photos of my grandchildren, Jack and Grace, EVERY HOUR OF THEIR LIVES. I can't be certain, but they may be the most photographed children EVER.

I even have photographs

of them before they were born. Here's Jack, for example, while he was still a lump. I see the family resemblance, even in this blurry ultrasound.

Boy, talk about detailing kid's lives! They will never have to wonder what they looked like when they were seven. At this point, they can know what they looked like at any given hour on any given day of their choice. And we won't even go into the videos memorizing every movement they've ever made.

With such a documented record, there's at least one part of the mystery of growing up they'll never have to suffer through.

So, here's Jack and Grace, startlingly beautiful grandchildren, thank goodness other genes were involved!