The more things change, the more they stay the same – French Proverb
One of my favorite things about looking at photos is seeing how much things have changed over the years. Yet even with all the differences in fashion trends, home furnishings, and everyday objects such as automobiles, there seems to be a universal constant: life is captured in pictures. The world around us is documented through a lens, and as scrapbookers we take those scenes and pair them with the written word to compile our histories. Looking back is just as important to us as what we are doing today, and our passion for memories gives us a deeper insight into the meaning of our own individual experiences.
I sometimes giggle at photos of my parents in the 1960s but then I quickly realize that my kids laugh at my pictures from the 1980s. Even though the hairstyles are different, the scenes are often the same; just a family experiencing the ups and downs of everyday living. While watching this year’s Superbowl football game, I found a commercial that illustrated this idea better than any words ever could. I hope you don’t mind taking a quick little detour over to You Tube to see this very short video of a song by Bob Dylan called “Forever Young”. You will see 50 years of pop culture compared and contrasted in a 1 minute time frame. This illustrates just how powerful it can be to place 2 images together from different times.
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Isn’t it fun to see how the past matches up to the present? This commercial stayed with me for days until I realized that I had discovered an incredible storytelling device that would bring new life to my scrapbook pages!
Using a “then and now” approach inspired me to use a photo I never would have thought to make a page with. My first reaction was to hide my awkward 12 year old self away, but when I realized that I was the very same age here as my daughter is now, a layout started to form in my head. I grudgingly played basketball for a church team when I was 12, but my daughter is doing the same thing now and loving every minute of it. When I showed her this picture she thought it was hilarious! I told her that we should take a picture of her on the way to a basketball game and maybe someday she would have a daughter who would think she looked funny also!
Journaling reads:
The years are different and so are the styles, but both of these girls are on their way to a church basketball game. Even the backdrops are quite different. The house I grew up in was filled with wallpaper and after years of enduring wallpaper removal duty, I have made a pact to never have wallpaper on the walls of our home. My home at this age was an old one; the house we live in now is nice and new. I think the biggest contrast though, is in the girls themselves. I was unsure of myself as an athlete and never felt very confident in my skills. You, on the other hand, are a good basketball player and you love to play. It doesn’t matter that the clothes have changed over the years, I’m just glad the attitude and skills are better!
2009 Riley, age 12; No uniform, they wear team vests; Long shorts, short socks, Adidas shoes
1981 Katie, age 12; Team uniform required; Short shorts, long socks, Nike shoes
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Any amount of time can be compared and
contrasted when using a “then and now” approach. Using two images side by side is a great way
to document change and show the evolution that comes with passing days. Take pictures of the same tree in each season
and see how different it looks throughout the year. Document the rapid growth
of a baby by setting a date each month to take their photograph. It is nice to include an unchanging object to
better illustrate the changes (the same teddy bear next to the baby each month
will show how much the baby is growing).
When I ran across two pictures of my son taken only 10 months apart, it
suddenly hit me how much he had changed in a very short time.
Journaling reads:
The top photo was taken in June of 2007. The bottom picture was snapped only ten
months later in April of 2008. In both photos you and Dad are standing on level
ground. I knew you were growing fast, but I was shocked when I compared these two
pictures side by side. What a growth spurt!
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Another way to use a “then and now” theme
is to compare two objects over the years. Photos of the school you attended as
a child can be compared with a current photo of the school now (or whatever has
replaced it if the school is no longer there). How about showing a picture of
your bedroom as a child vs. the room you sleep in now? A photograph of you
wearing your prom dress can be placed next to a photo of your daughter in her
prom dress. The possibilities are endless!
Journaling reads:
I never drove a “rockin” hippie van but sometimes I like to imagine myself cruising down the road in one. Even though I swore I never would, I currently drive a mini-van.
I actually love my van, it is practical and actually a pretty sweet ride! I have a sunroof and a great sound system that we hook the ipod into. It may look like a conservative mom-mobile on the outside, but I guarantee that it is “ROCKIN” on the inside! We love music from many different artists and decades so you will hear classics like Creedence Clearwater Revival, Neil Diamond, Billy Joel, Fleetwood Mac, Journey, and Elvis. We love radical eighties music like Thompson Twins, Howard Jones, Blondie, U2, Oingo Boingo, and INXS. We are always adding new stuff into the mix as well. I’m not sure if you will find a more eclectic mix being played because we enjoy everything from ABBA to ZZ Top. One thing is for sure, our van ROCKS!
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Life changes over the years, but we share many of the same
experiences no matter what the year is. Bringing your past pictures back to
showcase alongside your current memories completes a storytelling circle that
is important to pass along. Suddenly, that old faded photo has new meaning when
it is shared with a similar shot from today.
The passing of time is illustrated in a clear and poignant manner, and
our past becomes connected with our present. What a wonderful gift to share!
