During the holidays, I saw the new George Clooney movie “Up In the Air.” While I enjoyed the film immensely, there was one section that slightly irked me and my scrapbooking sensibilities.
In one scene, Mr. Clooney’s character is talking to a group of people about clearing the clutter from their lives – emotional and mental clutter as well as physical stuff. He tells people to put everything in an imaginary backpack and basically dispose of this clutter to prevent it from metaphorically weighing down our lives.
Included in the items he proposed disposing are photos – you should have seen me bolt up in my theatre seat when he said that!!
He suggests getting rid of pictures and photo albums because we have mental memories of those people and events to keep us warm and fuzzy. The physical memories just weigh us down even more.
Again, let me reiterate that I loved the movie – and without revealing any spoilers, the character does see the value of pictures later in the movie…but his little speech made me think about all the photos and scrapbooks I have in my house.
Get rid of them!?! That’s crazy talk!
Sure I can recall events without pictures and just replay the moments in my head. After time, however, memories grow cloudy and details fade. I just created this “Road Trip” layout about a trip I took last month to visit my family.
Yes, in 20 years, I may recall taking that trip to see my mom for her birthday, but will I vividly remember the other stops I made along the way? Visiting friends in Northern Kentucky and rural Indiana, seeing my friend’s newborn baby, getting lost outside of Cincinnati, playing Candyland with my nephew or getting a tour of his preschool? How about my favorite part of the trip…getting a speeding ticket on a state road outside of Nashville!!
Those are details that would dim with every passing year until they were nothing more than the faded flicker of a distant memory. This scrapbook layout – which I think made perfect use of SEI’s En Route line of papers and embellishments – will ensure every ounce of that road trip remains locked in my mind.
I’ve always looked at my scrapbooks as veritable history books of my life as well as the lives of my family and friends. I love the memories in my head – but the scrapbook in my lap ensures every detail of those moments will forever remain part of our history.
In one scene, Mr. Clooney’s character is talking to a group of people about clearing the clutter from their lives – emotional and mental clutter as well as physical stuff. He tells people to put everything in an imaginary backpack and basically dispose of this clutter to prevent it from metaphorically weighing down our lives.
Included in the items he proposed disposing are photos – you should have seen me bolt up in my theatre seat when he said that!!
He suggests getting rid of pictures and photo albums because we have mental memories of those people and events to keep us warm and fuzzy. The physical memories just weigh us down even more.
Again, let me reiterate that I loved the movie – and without revealing any spoilers, the character does see the value of pictures later in the movie…but his little speech made me think about all the photos and scrapbooks I have in my house.
Get rid of them!?! That’s crazy talk!
Sure I can recall events without pictures and just replay the moments in my head. After time, however, memories grow cloudy and details fade. I just created this “Road Trip” layout about a trip I took last month to visit my family.
Yes, in 20 years, I may recall taking that trip to see my mom for her birthday, but will I vividly remember the other stops I made along the way? Visiting friends in Northern Kentucky and rural Indiana, seeing my friend’s newborn baby, getting lost outside of Cincinnati, playing Candyland with my nephew or getting a tour of his preschool? How about my favorite part of the trip…getting a speeding ticket on a state road outside of Nashville!!
Those are details that would dim with every passing year until they were nothing more than the faded flicker of a distant memory. This scrapbook layout – which I think made perfect use of SEI’s En Route line of papers and embellishments – will ensure every ounce of that road trip remains locked in my mind.
I’ve always looked at my scrapbooks as veritable history books of my life as well as the lives of my family and friends. I love the memories in my head – but the scrapbook in my lap ensures every detail of those moments will forever remain part of our history.
5 comments:
I completely agree! My maternal grandfather never spoke about his childhood or his family, and when he passed, we went through all his photos and for the most part we had no idea who people were. I don't want my children to forget their heritage! I want my kids to be able to look at my layouts and photo albums and know their past.
Anyone faced with a box of unlabled pictures knows how sentimental one can feel looking at them - and how the details can be dim. Most of scrap not just for ourselves, but for our descendants to know who we were and how we shaped their lives.
I love all the details you were able to fit into your LO. Great job and great post!
Thanks for reading and commenting! I really do appreciate it.
Love the ROAD TRIP layout! Really captures the whole trip in only one 2-page layout! I like to see the start and finish on one page... then you can add the rest after if you want.
Haven't seen the movie... but I guess I will have to check it out. I agree with you though!
Tammy Skinner
Calendar Girl Designs
Love the way you cut out around people in pics. Have any helpful hints?
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