The Old Way

On By Lauren Scott, AuthorIn Poetry, Poetry readings

We pull the album from the shelf,
its 12×18 glory weighing as much as
a large sack of potatoes,
the cover the shade of a redwood forest

one of nineteen just waiting to be
reminisced through
for another wave of nostalgia

We open to the first page
then turn to the next
and the page after…
the eyes
the smiles
bring life to the moments captured
power in love weighs more
than any possession

it’s like holding a valued book in our hands
but technology holds the wheel
so, with its navigation
we move into the future
digital folders at our fingertips
and the memories tag along

© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com – All rights reserved.
Credit in putting the photo albums together goes to my
husband, who spent hours writing in dates, places, and
adding commentary. ❤️

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38 thoughts on “The Old Way”

  3. Wonderful memories. We have to revisit a bit of nostalgia from time to time to make us smile and embrace the magic of what was and what it has evolved into. Beautiful Lauren! 🎧💿🎶📀🔊

  4. I’ve been thinking about nostalgia a lot lately: both from a creative standpoint and as you say its intersection with technology. When I’m looking for ideas, I love to look through old photo albums, drive on old road, whatever, I find it opens my senses and brings out my creativity. I wonder too what that will mean tomorrow where tech plays a bigger role! Beautiful words and so thought provoking. Love it Lauren.

    1. I’m glad you’re on the same page, Brian. We miss putting photos in the albums, but such is life. We can only move forward while still enjoying those memories from ‘the old way.’ Thanks for your wonderful words. I appreciate them.

  5. We have tons of old photo albums, Lauren. Almost literally, given their weight. Hers, mine, and ours as the old saying goes. In the hers and mine category, I have two and Peggy two large storage containers full. The two are all I have of my past. Peggy’s was well documented. Grin. We have a number together, back before digital became the rule rather than the exception. Plenty of nostalgia packed away there. 🙂 Now days, it’s all digital, although I do an annual family calendars focused on the best of our photography. This yeas was African wildlife. We keep promising ourselves we will digitize the significant photos from our albums. Downsizing almost demands it.

    1. That’s wonderful, Curt! We have about the same. Well, as I said in the poem, about 19 or 20 and they’re big and heavy, not just with love and memories. 🙂 My husband is the one who took the time to put the photos in them, write commentary, dates, etc. It was his project that he loved doing, so he misses it. Since we went digital, I’m the organizer of the photos on the computer. But even if they’re organized, it’s not the same as sitting down with the album across our laps, enjoying those memories. But the memories are still special regardless. And by the way, my husband has downsized the albums several times, so I think we used to have even more. Thanks for sharing and I’m glad you’re on the same page. LOL

      1. Laughing, Lauren. The last ones I did like that were Burning Man, just before I went digital. One of our ‘good intentions’ is to put the best, most memorable on jump drives and then play them on our TV, Lauren. I put together a 20 minute show for our kids and grandkids of the Africa photos. It was a fun way to share.

  6. Love hearing you read Lauren with such beautiful memories shared. I think I completing my last album by hand and then moving into digital. I do love the visual and touch of paper though, I gotta say! ❣️

  10. I LOVED your recitation Lauren. Your words energized the atmosphere around us when Don and I listened in on SoundCloud. I am now following you on SoundCloud and look forward to you give voice to your poetry. I am thrilled.

    1. Thanks so much, Rebecca, and I’ll record more. It takes getting used to hearing our own voices being recorded. But I appreciate your encouragement and follow on SoundCloud. I had to revive that account. 🙂 Thanks again! ❤️

  12. This is excellent … hep … the old way.
    This is excellent … hip … the new way.
    This is it.
    Loved listening to you recite, Lauren…loved it!
    💓🎼💖

    1. You are so funny, Resa! We miss putting together photo albums, but we still have them now on our devices. 🙂 The memories will always be with us though. And Rebecca nudged me to start recording my poems. We met for a future podcast, and I had the best time. So more to come…I appreciate your encouragement. xoxoxoxo

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