As I sit on my bed, with nothing to do, my mind is suddenly filled. What can I do with all my JUNK? I search in old dusty boxes, underneath my bed, in my closet and take a look at old picture frames, memories that have been sitting aside for years. What can I do to make it all come together? As I think, look around, and think again, I say quietly to myself, “Why don’t I create a scrapbook?” Scrapbooking is a great way to preserve memories and pass them down in a creative and unique way.
When a person thinks of scrapbooking, what do they think? I think of all the pictures and memorabilia that I have saved to create a portrait of my life which I can cherish forever. Scrapbooking is more than making cute pages. Scrapbooking is a unique craft and strange hobby that is rapidly changing (“What”). One wants to make sure all the photos in the scrapbook are safe and won’t be destroyed. As the science of photography is changing, the life of the pictures is being increased, as long as all the safe materials are being used and precautions are taken in what they are doing and how it is being done (“What”).
Scrapbooking can capture the special people and events we encounter in life. Many people like to take pictures of family traditions, favorite things and accomplishments (Braun 11). When creating a scrapbook, a person is able to pass down memories from when they were younger. Scrapbooking is a creative way to relax and have fun. Scrapbooking has become popular over the years because people are able to create something that will last forever. Many people want to transform their old photo albums into scrapbooks because there is more room for creativity (Brown). But a person has to remember that scrapbooking can become costly and very time consuming.
The first thing to consider before creating a scrapbook is to gather all of the information to include. Doing this will cause less hassle when creating pages and will allow for more time in doing so. Collecting photographs, treasures, certificates, brochures and documents (“Organizing”). Keep anything that has great significance in a person’s life, so that they are able to reflect back on it. Newspaper articles are a good thing to save because they help explain what’s going on. Talking to family and friends ...
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Where are the memories of our pasts held? In scrapbooks full of photographs, or perhaps written on the pages of a locked diary? Picture though, something as simple and ordinary as a closet full of clothes. Think about its contents, where they have been worn, what they have been through, the stories attached to each item. The nameless protagonist of Diane Schoemperlen’s short story Red Plaid Shirt does this as she recalls a snippet of her past life with each article of clothing she picks up. Red plaid shirt, blue sweatshirt, brown cashmere sweater, yellow evening gown, black leather jacket…each item has a tale of its very own, and when combined they reveal the full story of the main character’s life.
When he was eleven years old Theirry tragically lost his mother and found out in the most horrendous way. “The day that I found out about my mother I was at school,” he said, “I remember I was on the playground. Somebody came up and said ‘you’re laughing huh?’ from behind the gate. ‘Your mother is dead.’ The man said.” This was the start of his obsession with recording everything in his life, even if it went nowhere but into a box, never to be seen again.
Growing up most, not all, children are impulsive and think that they should everything their heart desires. When they do not get it they become upset, sometimes throwing temper tantrums. These things can be the newest and greatest toy, having a more sophisticated life, or a parent that is estranged. What they do not know is that it is usually for the best when they do not get everything they want. In Reunion and Everyday Use, readers learn that it does not always turn out the way they think it should when they try to reconnect with the past or try to put the past on display instead of honoring it with love.
For many people, including the characters in the novel “The Septembers of Shiraz”, having certain items or belongings makes them feel special and important, Theses objects they have collected throughout the years prove to themselves that they have done something. Each small item tells a story of when it was collected. It could be a gift from a friend or family member or a travel souvenir from an exotic place. Each thing is a cherished memory and reminds the owner of these special times. The memories are what define the people not the objects. An object that is meaningful to me is a framed silhouette portrait of myself when I was about 5 years old. I still remember being very upset not being able to tell the difference between my picture
Joan Didion in her essay, “On Keeping a Notebook”, stresses that keeping a notebook is not like keeping a journal. Didion supports her claim by describing entries that are in her notebook. The author’s purpose is to enlighten the reader as to what a notebook is. The author writes in a nostalgic tone for those who are reading the essay, so that they can relate to her. She uses rhetorical appeals; such as flashback, pathos, and imagery to name a few. By using these devices she helps capture the reader’s attention.
Author, Joan Didion, in her essay, On Keeping a Notebook, expands the importance of keeping a notebook. Didion’s purpose is to elucidate why having and using a notebook is essential and give examples of how to keep one. She adopts a forthright and didactic tone in order to emphasize notebook keeping with her audience. Didion provides rhetorical question, flashbacks, and the use of pathos to support the purpose of writing her essay.
Heritage in a family can be preserved in many different ways. Be it a diary written by your great great grandpa or a pot your grandma passed on to your mum who passed it on to you, nothing compares to the great comfort in understanding ones heritage especially when it involves the deep love and devotion of a strong mother. In the poem "My Mother Pieced Quilts" by Teresa Acosta and the short story "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker, both authors use imagery and figurative language to establish a quilt as a symbol for a mothers love of her children to illustrate their themes.
The book “On Photography” by Susan Sontag, she expresses several views and ideas about photography to educate us further about her views. In Sontag’s view, “To collect photographs is to collect the world” (Sontag 3). In other words, Sontag believes that the photograph that is taken will always be a photograph within society in his/her own world. I interpret the quote this way because if our life is captured in photographs, that’s our whole world. Even though we are capturing it through the lenses, we are still experiencing it some how, some way.
When I was younger I did not have a journal. I was an only child, so I did not feel the need to hide my personal belongings. As I grew older I was diagnosed with a severe form of anxiety. I did not know how to cope with my feelings. When I was told to visit a therapist, I had mixed emotions on attending the sessions, because I did not like the idea of opening up to a stranger. My therapist thought writing down my daily emotions in a journal would help me to learn how to process my thoughts. Joan also stated in her piece of work that she felt expressing her feelings through a journal is healthy. As time went on, and I became older I started to learn more about myself. Keeping a journal has helped me tremendously in my daily life. It has taught me what triggers my anxiety, allowed me to figure how to prevent it, but also gave me a time that I can call "me time”. + Having read Joan Didion’s “On Keeping a Notebook,” I am going to discuss the importance of
Good memories-we bury them in the chest of our hearts, locked in so tight, to never be forgotten. Yet, the harder we hold on, the more they seem to slip away. So we document these memories in some way, whether by a photograph, journal entry, or poem. But, the wretched hardships are twisted in with the beautiful moments in life. No one wants to remember the awful memories, but we record them any how. They give us perspective. It’s through life’s trials we grow the most; it’s through living and revisiting our worst moments that we can reflect how wonderful life truly is. Memories about childhood written by nikki Giovanni in “Knoxville, Tennessee” and Li-Young Lee in ”A Hymn to Childhood” are diverse on the their difficult experiences,
Hunt, Leigh. "Pocket-books and Keepsakes". The Keepsake. Ed. William Harrison Ainsworth. London: Hurst, Chance & Co., & Robert Jennings, 1828.
As I look back on my childhood a great number of memories hide in my mind; sleepovers with friends, hanging upside down on the monkey bars, eating ice cream are but a few. The one memory that doesn't hide is of the postcard perfect house that I love and adore. From the hearty cattails and rose brown apple trees to the grilled cheese, this place reminds me of my childhood fun but also the love that my whole family shared. The red brick house and its surroundings will keep my memories forever.
My strong interests in music, good food, and the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom may seem broad, but they are the essentials for my aspiration in life. These passions are the incentives of how to be a happier and more successful person for me to become.
It is the start of a new year and I thought I would start a journal chronicling my daily experiences. Tonight we decided to go to the local F.O.P. lodge to a New Years Eve party. We had a pretty good time but what happened later that evening is something that I hope I don’t forget for a long time to come. Still fresh in my mind was the conversation Angela and I had on Christmas night. She was hinting that she wasn’t sure if she wanted to be in a serious relationship this soon after the breakup of her previous one. If that wasn’t hard enough on Christmas she also was to ill to attend my brothers wedding with me in Madison Indiana . To add to all the confusion in my head, on my way home I stopped and got her a rose and a “happy New Years” balloon. She seemed quite touched by the gesture but also visibly troubled by it. I asked her if she was ready to have a good time tonight and she said “I was but now I don’t know.” Now what in the world does that mean! I tried applying all sorts of significant meanings to that statement but in the end I decided to just let it go and let events unfold as they would. Fast forward to 2 minutes before midnight. Angela is an absolute goddess, she is very beautiful and one of the nicest, sweetest woman I have ever met, but she is not one given to affection, especially public affection. Well at 2 minutes till she laid a kiss on me that lasted well after midnight. She absolutely blew me away!! The rest of the night was nice, we went to a couple more clubs but that moment is burned into my memory. Everything else paled in comparison. I don’t know if it is possible but I think I kissed her with my heart as well as my lips. I have heard of your “minds eye”, but tonight I found my “hearts mouth”.................
Keeping a journal will also help you improve your memory, spelling and grammar. It will help you focus and in turn helps with critical thinking and problem solving skills. Which helps you become more open to insights you may have missed before. It gets the creative juices flowing. It a tool to see how you have grown and changed. Write down your beliefs, values, emotions and goals. This will help you to better understand your relationships to those things. In return you will see what is important to you and what is not so important.