*inhale*
let it go.
freshen up your space.
clear your desk.
and while you’re here, it may be time to lighten up your digital life.
a few years ago, while upgrading to a new computer, I lost over two years worth of photo files. it was heartbreaking, as it spanned an especially important part of my life. I was able to buy a recovery program and retrieve a small portion of them (maybe 5%) but the rest of those memories are gone.
the files on my computer, phone, and back up drives are precious to me; but are they going to be there when I want to show them to my future self? will they be around and readable in 5, 10, 20 years?
future technologies are developing so fast that we may not be able to read the data on a thumb drive shortly. think about all of the vhs tapes or even dvds your mother (or grandma) has and no one has the equipment to watch them on….who’s to say this isn’t the future for this laptop I’m typing on right now?
I have two huge bins filled with shoe boxes of photo envelopes that date from the late 1980’s to the early 2000’s. there they sit in their envelopes, just as I left them, dated and organized, in a waterproof container ready for me to look at whenever I choose. the colors haven’t faded, and thanks to some forethought, most of the negatives are still there with the photos they represent. I imagine my children will have them to look at for years, just as I can still look at photos of my long passed relatives.
my solution or should I say my current obsession is to edit and organize my digital photo files (all 40,000+ of them) into printed photo books so they are accessible as a readable history. this is very time-consuming (to say the least) expensive (gimme those coupon codes) but it’s also a great way to dump the files I don’t need, and give me security in knowing the photos will be around a little while longer.
having prints made of some of my favorites is also on my list (you know, the ‘when I have all the moneys’ list)
so, if you need me, I will be here, scouring through thousands of files, picking the perfect photos to tuck in a book that hopefully somebody years from now will pick up and go,
wow.
what a great memory.
*for an interesting look at this whole digital media reliance vs the old school method might I suggest the movie california typewriter (not a paid endorsement!)
All images © 2013-2018 Jeannie M. Starks / two daisies life
two daisies / life 