I was reading an article the other day which resonated with me as a wedding photographer and I thought I’d share it since I believe it to be something we should all keep in mind.
As a wedding photographer, I feel it’s a great privilege to be invited to document two families coming together on such a special day. It’s one of the few days in a generation that this happens and often three generations of the family are present.
Your children will inherit your wedding album and it is through this album they will be able to see grandparents and all the members of the family who’s stories have been told to them over the years.
…And over those years, how many stories have been told?
This is what I read that surprised and moved me into writing this post. Please stay with it, the answer will shock you…
How Old is Grandma?
One evening a grandson was talking to his grandmother about current events.
The grandson asked his grandmother what she thought about the
shootings at schools, the computer age, and just things in general.
The Grandmother replied, “Well, let me think a minute, I was born before:
‘ television
‘ penicillin
‘ polio shots
‘ frozen foods
‘ Xerox
‘ contact lenses
‘ Frisbees and
‘ the pill
There were no:
‘ credit cards
‘ laser beams or
‘ ball-point pens
Man had not yet invented:
‘ tights
‘ air conditioners
‘ dishwashers
‘ clothes dryers
‘ and the clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air and
‘ man hadn’t yet walked on the moon
Your Grandfather and I got married first, and then lived together.
Every family had a father and a mother.
Until I was 25, I called every man older than me, “Sir.”
And after I turned 25, I still called policemen and every man with a
title, “Sir.”
We were before gay-rights, computer-dating, dual careers, nurseries,
and group therapy.
Our lives were governed by the Ten Commandments, good judgment, and
common sense.
We were taught to know the difference between right and wrong and to
stand up and take responsibility for our own actions.
We thought fast food was what people ate during Lent.
Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins.
We never heard of FM radios, tape decks, CD’s,DVDs, electric typewriters,
yogurt, or guys wearing earrings.
We listened to Big Bands, Jack Benny, and the Queens speeches on our radios.
And I don’t ever remember any kid blowing his brains out listening to
Bill Haley.
If you saw anything with ‘Made in Japan ‘ on it, it was junk.
Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, and instant coffee were unheard of.
Ice-cream cones, phone calls, rides on a bus, and a Coke were all 5 old pennies.
And if you didn’t want to splurge, you could spend your 5p on enough
stamps to mail 1 letter and 2 postcards.
You could buy a new Ford Anglia for £600, but who could afford one?
Too bad, because petrol was 11p a gallon.
In my day:
‘ “grass” was mowed,
‘ “coke” was a cold drink,
‘ “pot” was something your mother cooked in and
‘ “rock music” was your grandmother’s lullaby.
‘ “Aids” were helpers in the Principal’s office,
‘ “chip” meant a piece of wood,
‘ “hardware” was found in a hardware store and.
‘ “software” wasn’t even a word.
And we were the last generation to actually believe that a lady needed
a husband to have a baby.
No wonder people call us “old and confused” and say there is a generation gap.
Soo….. How old do you think I am?
I bet you have this real old lady in mind. You are in for a shock!
This woman would be only 60 years old, Born in 1952.
Remarkable, that in each and every wedding I photograph – All this history has been witnessed by the guests. So much in this world changes in such a very short time.
You children will be all grown up in the blink of an eye.
Looking back on your wedding album will be one of the most precious things.
This is why I love my job!
