watching old home movies - revelations [Archive]

pinkytoe

7-9-13, 10:22am

Out of the blue, my older brother, sent me a DVD transferred from 50 yr old home movies. Subsequently, I dug up some old reels I had stashed in a drawer from the same time period and had them converted too. Watching these old movies has been so interesting - seeing myself as an animated, energetic kid full of fun, playing with my siblings (one now deceased), watching my mom (who died a very sad death) riding a bicycle with a huge smile on her face, summer trips to the beach with the whole family (no A/C in the car). I think the two biggest revelations are that I really did have a few wonderful years with a tight family unit (4 sibs and both parents) before my parents divorced and that kids were much more inventive back then. I hesitated to watch them because I thought it would make me sad but the opposite is true. Life really was a lot simpler and my heart feels lighter now.

SteveinMN

7-9-13, 10:27am

Very cool, pinkytoe. Not that I would trade being an adult with being a kid, but I do remember when life was far more carefree and the biggest decision I had to make was how to hide the asparagus cooling on my plate....

CathyA

7-9-13, 10:30am

That's really cool pinkytoe! I'm glad it had a good effect on you!

Sad Eyed Lady

7-9-13, 10:57am

Wonderful! Especially with the first one arriving unexpectedly. What treasures!

iris lilies

7-9-13, 11:08am

Out of the blue, my older brother, sent me a DVD transferred from 50 yr old home movies. Subsequently, I dug up some old reels I had stashed in a drawer from the same time period and had them converted too. Watching these old movies has been so interesting - seeing myself as an animated, energetic kid full of fun, playing with my siblings (one now deceased), watching my mom (who died a very sad death) riding a bicycle with a huge smile on her face, summer trips to the beach with the whole family (no A/C in the car). I think the two biggest revelations are that I really did have a few wonderful years with a tight family unit (4 sibs and both parents) before my parents divorced and that kids were much more inventive back then. I hesitated to watch them because I thought it would make me sad but the opposite is true. Life really was a lot simpler and my heart feels lighter now.

DH showed my an old home movie of he and his sister. There is sis, the "bad sibling" doing something she's not supposed to, and Goody Two Shoes DH is standing there, exhibiting concern and nervousness on his face.

50 years later, that dynmaic still plays out. While DH is generally relaxed and calm, he doesn't get himself into scrapes and he knows when others are heading in that direction.

mtnlaurel

7-9-13, 11:13am

That's really cool pinkytoe! I'm glad it had a good effect on you!

+1

I know I get so ingrained looking at my past through one particular lens... it's nice when something pops up that shows other things too.

Gardenarian

7-9-13, 12:11pm

How neat! I know my mom had a bunch of Super 8 movies left when she died - one of my siblings was going to have them converted. Now I'm looking forward to the results.

pinkytoe

7-9-13, 1:47pm

that dynmaic still plays out
Another revelation...our basic personalities don't change much. Inside, I am still a happy, mischievous six year old and not a neurotic, middle-aged woman.

peggy

7-9-13, 3:38pm

How neat! I know my mom had a bunch of Super 8 movies left when she died - one of my siblings was going to have them converted. Now I'm looking forward to the results.

I did that. I had converted 60 year old film of my family. I actually got about 20-30 minutes of video from the several reels. As the youngest I wasn't in much of it though. Just in the last 3 or 4 minutes, but it was still a hoot. Seeing my parents at the age of my kids now was very joyful. And my grandparents, probably younger than I am now, and Aunt and cousins....what a hoot!
This reminds me, I need to get that dvd out and watch it again.