For Keep’s Sake!

Nostalgia is a file that removes the rough edges from the good old days. ~ Doug Larson

A few posts back, I blogged about the tons of stuff I found when we packed to move. For a moment, I wondered if I was a hoarder like my ex-neighbor, but it was too organized for that. I still can’t face, that I may be a pack rack.

I mentioned that I’d be writing a future blog about the keepsakes I found, and this is that post. Are yearbooks considered keepsakes? Check out the three junior high yearbooks I kept below (some names have been blurred out or erased).

Yes, that’s middle school, and don’t pay attention to the year. Keep in mind, I was the youngest kid in my class. Those books only seem old because I changed it to black & white (the color gave it fuzziness).

So, who looks at those pictures in a yearbook anymore, right? But, what about all those memorable notes from friends inside? The photo below shows high school signatures in one yearbook, and I have six more (including the three above).

Who are these people? I don’t remember half of those names, so why do I even care to keep them? Is it worth it?

How ’bout diplomas? Should I keep those?

What about old keepsake letters from loved ones?

Inside that box above are letters from my dad after I first moved to Florida. He really missed me in those early days. There are also letters from my Nana. She died in 2004. How could I part with these?

What about letters from my college friends (above) who went away to school while I stayed home? Some of those people I vaguely remember. There are also letters in that box from old boyfriends.

When I was eleven, I had a pen pal from New Zealand. Her letters are above. In those days, to connect across the globe, we did it the hard way and wrote longhand. Maybe she’s out there somewhere in cyberspace. Wouldn’t it be cool if she found my blog?

Can you read what it says in red marker on the box above? Yes, I know it used to contain old dot matrix, continuous feed paper, (which may have been taken from my hotel job back in the day). Those “notes” inside that box are not letters. It holds something even more historical than the box itself … old fashioned text messages.

In other words, they are notes we passed from desk to desk (above and below). They date from 7th grade to 12th grade. Most are not signed, so I have no idea who wrote many of them.

Take a closer look and see if you can read the ramblings of 9th graders (above). Such philosophical talk about boys, boys and more boys. Did I mention I was boy crazy?

Oh, and by the way, I still have the two dozen diaries I mentioned in another post.

Am I just keeping these things for keep’s sake? Should I rid myself of them? I can’t stop thinking about how fun they are to read.

Now that I moved back to my hometown, maybe I should try to contact old friends and have a note-reading party.

Do you keep any letters from loved ones or friends? How about letters from any old flames? Are you old enough to remember passing notes in class?