Hubby and I are at it again. Watching old videos taken years or decades ago. This time we have the videos taken by his parents so we’re less familiar with what we’ll find. Some have people in them that we don’t know. We watch for someone we do know so we know who to surprise with a box in the mail. It will be up to them to decide what to do with the videos.
Some of the videocassettes are of his empty-nest parents having fun. One is an interesting history lesson as they try out their new boat on Oahe Reservoir. The dam, located outside of Pierre, was built after they were married and had kids, so they knew the area before it was inundated. Hubby’s dad takes us on a cruise to the site of the old Fort Sully that sat above the Missouri River. Built in the mid-1860s, it was established to keep the peace between the settlers flooding into the area and the Lakota Sioux whose land it was. The fort was moved several times, but my dad-in-law knew where the old one was located. They talk about how it used to sit on a bluff high above the river. In their boat, they floated to its location as he talked about seeing the remains as a boy and young man.
My in-laws made a recording of the contents of their house in case it ever burned down. Very shortly after Hubby was born, they built the house they lived in for over 60 years. They took us on a tour of what they owned and described in detail their antiques and valued possessions. What was intended for insurance purposes has now become a walk down memory lane. No one has to wonder what their house was like or how they lived because it’s all on video-soon to be digital. (Side note: this is a good idea for everyone to do just in case disaster strikes…hint, hint, Hubby dear.)
A very special video brought back a lot of memories that I hadn’t thought of in a long time. My in-laws treated our young family to a magical vacation in Kansas City in 1987. Our kids were 8 and 5, a great age for going to the zoo, a Royals games, and Worlds of Fun. Our escapades were recorded for us to enjoy all these years later. Seeing our children back then brought lots of warm fuzzies to me. I’m so happy their laughter was preserved for me to hear again, Very precious sounds. How lucky I am to get to hear it again.
As I watched our frolicking at parks and showing our children new sights and sounds, I realized what a good childhood they had. They were loved beyond measure by several generations. Times were safe then, without the threat of new viruses, rioting, or gun violence. We didn’t have to leave our backpacks at home or walk through metal detectors. People respected each other and valued life. How I wish I could give them that again.
When I hear my grandsons laughing, I hear my son. They sound just alike at that age. I hope someday we’ll be able to treat them to a magical vacation somewhere. I hope they’ll understand that they are loved beyond measure by three generations. I pray that someday they’ll live in a world where people respect each other and value life again.
What fun. I digitized all my kids videos a couple years ago and made CD copies for each of them. They take up less space in the safe, but one day when a newer tech is available, I’ll have to do it again. We are also taking photos of the photos (!) in our albums. They go automatically into our google files which then play on our counter-top gadget. It is great to relive good times!