Our family seems to exhibit a number of mostly minor obsessions…some compulsive, some sporadic, but mostly productive. I wish I had my sister’s passion for diet and exercise, but my own passions wax and wane. I’m always excited about a new project, and then can’t wait for it to be over so I can begin something else. I’m about to put the final stitches in a needlepoint stocking that has been my companion for almost a year now. It was a great diversion as my knee healed, but now it’s getting in the way of more active pursuits.My great passion this summer has been beginning work on a video presentation for the fiftieth reunion of my high school class next spring. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, I’ve had the pleasure of reconnecting with people I hadn’t heard of, or in some cases even thought of, in fifty years. I’ve found a few friends lost through the vagabond lifestyle with many changes of address that we have lived through at time. And then came the internet….
After seeing the presentation of last year’s class, I began investigating how difficult the process might be, and found out it was probably manageable. There have been some hurdles, and there may be more, but learning new things is still exciting for me, and I’m just tickled to death with myself for managing to do it. My first project was a short DVD of our family Christmas, and I know I’ll do more in the future.
When I agreed to take on the project, I saw it as my gift to my class, but in the process, the gift has actually mostly been to me. I have received pictures from long lost friends and acquaintances, and to my delight I’ve been able to fill in some empty spots in my memory book. I will always treasure a photo sent from Mike’s six year old birthday party where we are all dressed up for tea in our mother’s clothes. I had no record of that party, or much of that period of my life, and when I got them printed and into my memory book, it really felt like I’d gotten a birthday gift from Mike.
They say that the task of our later years is that we look back and reflect on our lives and appreciate our successes and forgive ourselves our failures and feel content with what we accomplished. When that stocking is on the mantle and the DVD is given to my classmates, I hope I’ll be able to say…you did just fine, old girl.
Blessings,
Janie
