Wife
is sorting some scrapbook stuff today. Opening some boxes and
attempting to wade through what has been about fifteen to twenty
years of collecting materials in a huge bin with the good intentions
of addressing them later.
I
happen to be, in some ways, a bit of a family historian. Not just
for me, but family and friends and events and more. I take pictures,
keep ticket stubs, purchase souvenir programs, grab business cards
and flyers, and just in general pick up anything collectible or
memorable from wherever we’re at and whatever we’re doing.
The
end result is a lot of albums and binders featuring photographs
and park maps and stickers and postcards and flattened pennies
and wrist bands. They also contain A LOT of memories.
I
don’t consider myself a historian though. In ways, more of a caretaker.
I hold the keys to opening a whirlwind of thoughts for many people,
and I do not take that responsibility lightly. Neither does Terry.
Want
proof? Ok.
My
grandfather was overseas, World War II, when my mother was born.
A telegram was sent to him. I have that telegram in my house.
And that is a bit more than history. That’s a family treasure.
Today,
Terry was going through some boxes and she stumbled upon a few
unexpected tidbits. My grandparents bought their home new. First
owners. My grandfather was involved in the building of the house.
Started after he returned home following the war. Worked on it
with one of his brothers.
They
ended up with the blueprints to the house. Terry found the blueprints,
a black and white photograph of the house, and a copy of the mortgage
note. (Meme and Pepe paid $42.42 each month on the mortgage of
their new home.)
Terry
also discovered a newspaper clipping. A picture of my mother,
with the wedding announcement of my parents. I’m going to hope
my parents aren’t upset when I share that the happy couple has
spent more than fifty years together.
Take
a look around your house, or simply give the idea some thought.
I’d like you to consider any items that would be cherished keepsakes
for you that others might not place the same significance upon.
Chances
are good that blueprints for a house in Rhode Island don’t have
the same value for you that they have for me. As far as I can
tell, the house has been sold twice in thirty years. Perhaps one
of those two owners might be interested in them, but since my
grandparents lived there for over forty years with a significant
investment of sweat equity, I’m just going to take a massive risk
here and say it might not be as important to other owners as it
is to my family. After that, unless the city suddenly determines
there to be a major reason for celebrating the address, or some
involvement from the company that constructed it, I don’t know
if many people would be all that interested.
The
blueprints and the mortgage deed are a treasure to my family.
Not much value to yours. And there is absolutely nothing wrong
with that.
Did
you find anything? Some item or two that have real worth to you
that others just might not find as amazing. I hope so.
Hidden
treasures. They absolutely exist.