Memoribilia

[Jess from VA]

Memoribilia (photos and all manner of other stuff) is kept stored away in closets and files.

My once a year calls and cards to and from old friends and family, had me going through mine for the first time in a long time.  Old black and white photos of parents as children, dad as a Marine recruit, school photos, and all kinds of things.

I specifically set a number of these aside to give to my only niece (daughter of deceased sister) who only has four surviving family members on all sides.  Her parents were bums and both died young.  She was mostly raised by my parents, who took her from her parents (with no objections), and who she thinks of as her parents.  Such a sweet girl (who just turned 40).

But going through all this stuff had me setting aside a few things for my ex-wife, and a couple lifelong friends as well, as they will enjoy them (and I have plenty).

One thing I came across I have no recollection of is a card making me an honorary Marine Recruit "who has successfully completed the first two minutes of Marine boot camp at the USMC Recruit Depot San Diego."  And signed by Maj Gen John S. Grinalds, Commanding (I doubt he really signed it).  It made me laugh.  I twice attended San Diego Recruit Depot boot graduation ceremonies (invited by civilian employee office workers at my HQ 15AF job at March AFB CA).  Those are some very fine ceremonies and the best marching you will ever see.  I attended in USAF uniform both times, and this is no doubt why I was given the certificate for 2 minutes of boot camp.   

My mom was a fan of Olin Mills Studios, and the classic baby pictures of me naked laying face down on a little baby blanket with my cute little behind showing.  70 years ago.   

Anyway, it occurred to me that most of you good fellows (and couple ladies) probably have a pile of old memorabilia stashed away, and it is worth going through to deal out a little to other family and friends who will likely appreciate and enjoy it greatly (before you pass along into eternity).

[Oss]

I have been doing this over the past 6 months as mom is in a memory unit in NJ

I've given lots of photos to my brother and taken pics with my phone of many pics to send to relatives
and I have forwarded hundreds of them already
That way they are already digital !

My folks saved everything including so many letters to each other from before they married as well as every birthday, valentines day, mothers day,, you get the idea

It is sad to realize almost each person in albums is now deceased so I do my best to write down who is who in the old pics as someday if i did not do that they truly would be forgotten


Thanks for this post Jess and please keep that baby pic to yourself  

[Thunderbolt]

RE Oss's comment on forgetting who the folks in the pictures are.  I was visiting one of my aging cousins in Mo. a few years ago.  I asked her to get out the old box of pictures so I could take pictures of them with my phone.  Her son was there and he told his Mom that if she didn't write names on the backs of the pictures he would throw them away when she was gone.  Hopefully she did that.  My Mom and Dad did a pretty good job of that.  When they passed my sister and I split up a lot of old pictures.