The Box

 There is a black box that has been sitting on my coffee table for a couple few months staring at me and mocking me every night as I do my best to avoid making eye contact with it while I avert my eyes to my computer or the television.  I know the contents of the box but then again, I don't know them.  The box has my name on it, and it contains the photos from my mother's house that my sisters, who tackled the huge task of emptying the house for sale, thought would hold a special place in my heart.  We each got a special box of memories from thousands of photos in our parent's house when it was sold.  I am not sure why I haven't looked in "the box" yet except that I knew I had to be in the right frame of mind to give it its due diligence.  Finally, last week, I faced the past.

My past lies inside.

"The box" had photos of my parents, as babies, as children, as a young couple, as young parents, as grandparents and as great-grandparents.  That is a lot for one box!  There were photos of my dad's parents and some of their siblings together when they were the younger and at the shore.  It is so interesting to see people, who were always "old" in my mind, when they were probably younger than I am now.  Maybe that is why it took so long to open "the box", having to face the reality of time passing.  

The people we can thank for making "the shore"
such a large part of our lives!
My grandparents are the two on the right side.
My grandmother's sisters are the other women.

Among the photos in the "the box" were some I haven't seen in forever!  In my mind, I remember what I looked like when I was in high school, but is that memory anywhere near what I really looked like?  The reality upon seeing the photos is that maybe I looked better than I remember, which I am taking as a good thing.  It is also a telling thing about the tricks our minds play on us.  One of my sisters always says, enjoy where you are now because it is better than you think, and you will never be this young again!  We never think we look good in photos, or is that just me?  When in truth, we usually look better than we think.  Must remember to embrace the "now".

Another thought about the walk down memory lane is that after finishing Daisy Jones and the Six, the 70's have been on my mind.  The fashion and trends were epic!  I started watching the mini-series and find myself fondly reliving that time and the music.  The '70's had the best music, if I do say so myself!  

18-year-old Lisa.  She was so cute.
 I wish she would have known.
I loved that blouse!
I am sitting just like this as I write...a hundred years later.

Who remembers sitting next to the telephone waiting for a certain someone to call?  I am sure that is what I am doing here!  So many hours spent on the phone!!!  I am not a fan of talking on the phone now...go figure.  

I enjoyed the walk down memory lane in "the box". The photos were less than great quality, but they were of the time.  There were even a few letters, remember them?  Letters I wrote to my parents.  I used to write letters!  Now we just send a random email or a text message.  Both of which will disappear soon enough, unless we are running for office and have something to hide. My mom saved everything!  This was probably not seen as a positive thing when my sisters had to go through everything and get rid of most of it last year, but there are some things I am very glad she held on to and that my sisters thought well enough to save for me.  Namely, my youth and my parents' youth.  My house is full of photo albums, some of which may provide the same pleasure for my kids one day.  It is also full of a lot of stuff that will provide them with frustration one day.  And so, it goes.  

Like I said, "the box" took a certain frame of mind to delve into and maybe this blog takes the same frame of mind.  Cue the "70's music...

Me and my first best friend!
What fashion icons...leggings and crop pants!