Walk Down Memory Lane
What do you remember about your childhood?
I can’t even remember what I did last month let alone childhood memories from two decades ago. Luckily, that’s why we have photos to bring those incredibly awkward middle and high school years back to life!
Today, I share some reflections about life and parenthood after going through thousands of recently digitized old photographs that my parents shared with me covering my entire childhood through my high school years.
Hope you enjoy!
Kevin
TLDR Version
The good old days are happening right now. In 20 years, you’ll be looking at pictures from today reminiscing on these good times. Remember to enjoy the present moment and everything you have going for you.
Most of life is made up of the little things and “garbage time”. Don’t take it for granted. It’s what your kids will take away with them as they get older.
Be grateful for your parents and everything they did to raise you. Cherish whatever time you have left with them.
The Good Old Days Are Happening Now
Did I really look like that?
Wtf was I wearing?
I should have laid off the KFC and McDonald's.
These were all the thoughts that crossed my mind as I went through all these photos.
Who doesn’t immediately cringe when reminiscing about our childhood? They are memories that have been compressed, compartmentalized, and stored away in some deep recess in your brain to make space for all the real-world stuff you need to deal with now.
Despite the cringe, it's hard not to look back without a pair of rose-tinted glasses. Only the good memories float to the top, the ones that make you smile. Life was simpler back then. Better.
The thing is, in 20 years you’ll look back on today with those same glasses. Don’t forget to enjoy the present because these will be the good old days of the future.
Cherish the Garbage Time
In my walk down memory lane, I was struck by which photos triggered the most vivid emotions.
They weren’t the big, exciting events like our first trip to Disney. They were the tiny things that you would never think twice about – an oversized Chicago Bulls t-shirt that I wore in every photo from 96-98, the apartment we lived in for our first 10 years in the U.S., or our first family car, an old Chevy that was the only thing we could afford at that time.
It makes you realize that most of what gets filed away as core memories are those little things that you experience every day. Those are the things that make up your childhood. Those are the things that you’ll carry away.
As parents, you only want the best for your kids – best toys, best education, best experiences, etc. And you should. They are your kids (I already know Julian and Serena are going to be spoiled AF). But don’t forget the best thing you can give them is your time. Not just during the big family vacations but more importantly the day in and day out time.
Jerry Seinfeld has a great quote about this that he calls “garbage time”:
“I don’t need any special days. I mean they’re all special. We spend a lot of time together and I enjoy every second of it. Again, I’m a believer in the ordinary and the mundane. These guys that talk about “quality time” – I always find that a little sad when they say, “We have quality time.” I don’t want quality time. I want the garbage time. That’s what I like. You just see them in their room reading a comic book and you get to kind of watch that for a minute, or a bowl of Cheerios at 11 o’clock at night when they’re not even supposed to be up. The garbage, that’s what I love.”
Prioritize the little things and the garbage time. That’s what you and your kids are going to remember.
Your Parents Had Lives Before You
Even more interesting were the photographs of my parents before they had me, when they were my age or even younger, travelling, and spending time with family and friends I’ve never met.
Who knew!? My parents had lives before me!
It reminded me of David Foster Wallace’s famous “This is Water” speech during which he highlights our tendency to view ourselves as the absolute center of our own world. We all are naturally self-centered because we experience life in the first person. Every single one of your life experiences supports the view that you are the center of your universe. Everyone else is just the supporting character in your story.
And yet…
Your parents lived an entire life before you. One that didn’t revolve around your orbit. One that they gave up for you.
Be grateful and appreciative for everything your parents did to raise you. As kids, you probably didn’t have the self-awareness to realize what that means. I definitely didn’t. It took becoming a parent myself to begin to understand those sacrifices.
Give your parents a hug. Tell them thank you and I love you. No one is getting any younger. There will be a time in the future when you wish you had.
For Those That Made it This Far…
Here is a compilation of a few of my favorite childhood photos.
Like a fine wine, I’m just getting better with age!
