Hey y'all!
Wednesday I got an email from my very favorite online scrapbook store Two Peas announcing their closure. This comes after a store I worked at called Archivers closed earlier this year. The funny thing about economies are that they ebb and flow, trends, hobbies and what people will pay for change all the time. Archivers closing may just be a product of an economy that is coming out of a recession and growing in a different direction. But, it may also be a sign that people do not print photos or keep photo albums the way they used to. When was the last time you printed out a photo? I know most of the people who read my blog are friends and family and I'll bet most of you would say after a wedding or other special occasion. However, I also know that most of you do still document your lives-hello Instagram and Facebook- and the slant towards digital everything means less glue and pen meet paper to record memories.
It made me sad to think of Two Peas closing, mostly because they were my most comfortable place to buy products I love and get ideas I could share. Then I saw this post on Instagram:
That's deep, man. I said a little 'preach!' and 'yes!'...then I was moved to write to all of you lovely people and remind YOU that your story is worth telling. I super appreciate anyone who reads my blog and shares my stories, but let me ask you, who are you sharing your stories with? Do you Instagram? Share pictures on Facebook? Journal? I bet you think that your story is boring and no one really needs to see it...blah, blah, blah. I bet you are wrong. I have many, many single friends who think they have no reason to document their lives, but they're wrong. Just because you are not a parent, you ARE a best friend, and aunt, a daughter, etc.... There are people who care about you and want to see what your life looks like.
YOUR STORY IS WORTH TELLING..
You definitely do NOT have to make a big 12 x 12 scrapbooks full of paper, stickers, inks, etc. (even if that's what the cool kids are doing ; ) ). If you Instagaram-awesome! Why not order a photobook and write some words to go with those pictures? If you have albums of pictures on Facebook-GREAT! Have you typed captions for those pictures- telling people where, when, why? Do you have a memory card full of pictures from your last vacation? Why not print them out and put them on your coffee table so people can flip through them?
I'm not sure where I am going here, and I am not as graceful a writer as other people, but I felt inspired. I want my friends and family to know that I think their journey is important, that I want to hear their stories. It's not just about remembering people when they are gone, but appreciating them while they are here. Seeing your perspective and how your life looks. Scrapbooking taught me perspective and the value of paying attention. I am truly grateful for this hobby-turned job of mine.
In the spirit of appreciating my life story, here's a little of what my life looks like right now, as seen in my Instagram feed:
I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Do you think memory keeping is dead? Maybe it's just going more and more digital? Do you print out pictures or share our story, and how?
Thanks for reading,
Michelle