In celebrating my son’s birth month on my Facebook page, I have changed my profile picture each day to show a different photograph. In looking for these photos, I have come to the conclusion that the digital age has made us lose a memory-making skill that needs to come back!

I have very few printed photographs. They are all on disk or on computer where I never really think to look at them. Gone are the days that I headed to CVS or even longer ago to mail in film to Clark Photography (remember them? Their envelopes used to come in the Sunday paper or as insert in magazines?) I remember waiting eagerly for the prints to return and spending hours placing them into photo albums where they were easily accessible to enjoy over and over again.

Somehow it is just not the same inserting a disk into the drive and opening photos online. The personal touch is gone, as it is in so many areas where we switch to modern technology.

I, for one, am gathering up the disks, of which there are many, cataloging the lives of my children and our family history. It’s time to head into Walmart and print these pictures. Cataloging them on digital media is just not working. It has no personal touch and there has never been a more profound case of “out of sight, out of mind.” As I have inserted some disks this week just rummaging for some older photos to celebrate Allen’s birthday, I realize there are so many pictures I don’t even remember. Only when a need to have them for something like this Facebook recognition comes up do I bother searching. It is so much easier to have prints in albums to thumb through to take me back to those days gone by.

I guess I will remain old fashioned that way as I will continue to read “real” books as opposed to digital and I will always turn the pages of my newspaper rather than scroll through. I will affix stamps and addresses to real cards celebrating anniversaries, Christmas and other holidays rather than hitting an “e-card” because to me, it’s more personal and tangible. I know everyone is different in advancing into the world of digital media, but photos need to be looked at and it is much more likely to happen with them right in your hands. Take some time to check through your memories that are stored away on disk. You’ll be pleasantly surprised and emotionally touched by all those good times!