When I think about the stories I document in my scrapbooks, most of them are connected to something that happened. Family gatherings, vacations, birthdays, holidays, and everyday activities are all important parts of my memory keeping. I love having those experiences recorded because they help me remember what our lives were like at different points in time.
But lately, I've been thinking about another way to tell our stories. What if we looked at the things that have fascinated us throughout our lives? The subjects we loved in school, the places we dreamed of visiting, the experiences that amazed us, and the interests that have stayed with us for years.
Since October's theme is A Sense of Wonder, I've been thinking about how those things are connected to our personal histories. They can tell us quite a bit about who we were, what interested us, and how our perspectives have changed over time.
I think this could be an interesting approach to memory keeping, especially for stories that don't necessarily fit into a traditional scrapbook page about a particular event.
Tell Your Story Through the Things That Fascinate You
We all have subjects that capture our attention. Some of us love history, science, nature, art, architecture, or literature. Others are fascinated by technology, sports, music, animals, or the way things work. I've always enjoyed learning about a wide variety of subjects. I love reading, researching places before we travel, exploring history, and discovering interesting details about the things I encounter. I also enjoy creative projects and learning new techniques or ways to make things.
When I think about those interests, I realize they tell an important part of my story. They explain why I choose certain books, enjoy particular destinations, spend time on creative projects, and get excited about learning something new. Think about the subjects that have fascinated you throughout your life. Are there things you've been interested in for as long as you can remember? Have you developed new interests as you've gotten older?
You could create a scrapbook page about one of those interests, including photographs, memories, and a little journaling about how it became part of your life. It might be something you do regularly, or simply a subject you've always enjoyed learning about.
I have so many interests that I love, but photography has always fascinated me. I love photographs and I yearn to capture amazing images that tell a story. It’s one of my biggest passions.
Look Back at What Amazed You as a Child
Our childhood interests can tell some interesting things about us. Think about the books you loved, the toys you played with, the subjects you wanted to learn about, and the places you dreamed of visiting. Were you fascinated by dinosaurs, outer space, castles, animals, or trains. Maybe you loved a particular series of books, collected something unusual, or spent hours imagining adventures inspired by your favorite stories.
I think it would be fun to look through old photographs and see what clues they offer about the things you loved as a child. You might find pictures of favorite toys, birthday gifts, family outings, or activities that remind you of something you were especially interested in. You could also photograph an object you still own or find a picture of something that represents that interest. The most important part would be recording what you remember and why it mattered to you.
I didn’t go to Disneyland a lot while I was growing up. My family took a trip there when I was three years old, and I don’t remember a thing from that experience. My parents took me there when I was about eight years old and that was what got me hooked. I only remember a few things about being in the park, but I have vivid memories of spending hours looking through a brochure and the tickets (remember the E tickets, anyone?) that my Dad had procured before we went. That might have been just as fun as actually going.
I still love to plan and go on Disneyland trips!
Explore How Your Perspective Has Changed
One of the interesting things about getting older is discovering how differently we see certain things. Something that seemed amazing when we were little might feel ordinary now. On the other hand, there are things we appreciate much more as adults because we understand them better.
I've noticed this when visiting historic buildings and museums. I've always enjoyed seeing beautiful and interesting places, but the more I've learned about history, architecture, and art, the more I appreciate the details. I find myself thinking about how something was made, who created it, and what life was like when it was new. I've also experienced this with creative projects. Knowing how much planning, practice, and problem-solving goes into making something gives me a different appreciation for the finished result.
Think about something you see differently now than you did ten or twenty years ago. Maybe you've developed a greater appreciation for nature, family traditions, music, art, or a particular place. That change in perspective is part of your story. You could document something you once overlooked but now find fascinating, or compare an older experience with the way you feel about it today.
I’ve certainly always thought flowers and plants were pretty, but I didn’t think much about them. Later in my life, I came to really appreciate the unique beauty of each plant. I especially love colorful blooms and interesting succulents. I love learning the names and species. And they are one of my favorite subjects to photograph!
Remember the Dreams That Stayed With You
Another interesting way to tell your story is through the things you've always wanted to experience. I love traveling, especially when I have the opportunity to visit places I've read about or dreamed of seeing for years. There's something particularly enjoyable about finally experiencing a place that has existed in your imagination for a long time. Think about the things you've dreamed of doing throughout your life. Maybe you've always wanted to visit a particular country, learn a skill, see a famous landmark, or accomplish something meaningful to you.
Have any of those dreams come true? Do you remember when you first became interested in them? How did the actual experience compare with what you imagined? You could create a scrapbook page about a dream that became a reality, including the story of how your interest began and what it meant to finally experience it.
And don't forget about the dreams you still have. Recording those interests now could be just as meaningful, especially when you look back at them years from now.
This is me in England in 1989 on a study abroad program. I always dreamed of traveling, and I worked really hard while I was in college to save enough money to fully pay for a study abroad program to the UK. We had to carry all of our own luggage from train stations to the villages we stayed in so I packed light. I’m carrying everything I packed for a two and a half month trip. I’m still really proud of myself for working hard to make this dream come true.
I still love to have adventures and travel to new places. I hope I always have this dream.
Find the Connections Between Past and Present
One of my favorite things about this approach is the possibility of discovering connections between different parts of our lives. Maybe a childhood interest in castles eventually led to a love of history and travel. Perhaps a fascination with books developed into an interest in writing or storytelling. An early love of drawing might have influenced the creative hobbies you enjoy today. You might even discover that something you thought you'd outgrown is still part of your life in a different form.
I think it would be interesting to create a scrapbook page called Things That Have Always Fascinated Me. You could include a few childhood interests, something you loved as a young adult, and the things you're most interested in today.
Another idea would be to choose one lifelong interest and document how it has changed over the years. Include older photographs if you have them, along with current pictures that show how that interest is still part of your life. These kinds of pages can help connect memories that might otherwise seem unrelated.
I’ve always loved looking at photos. This photo was taken in 1979 and I’m looking through a simple photo album that my mom put together. I still adore any type of photo album or scrapbook. I especially love reading the stories that go with the photos. I guess that is my scrapbooking is so appealing to me. It’s interesting that this passion has become such a big part of my entire life. I’ve spent more than 20 years blogging about memory keeping!
A Few Questions to Get You Started
If you'd like to try this approach to memory keeping, here are a few questions to think about:
What subjects have fascinated you for as long as you can remember?
What did you find amazing when you were a child?
Is there a childhood interest that's still part of your life today?
What have you learned to appreciate more as you've gotten older?
Have you visited a place or experienced something you dreamed about for years?
What interests have you developed later in life?
Is there something you used to love that you'd enjoy revisiting?
What would surprise your younger self about the things you enjoy today?
You don't have to answer all of these questions. Even one might remind you of a story you'd like to document.
Remember...
I love documenting the events and everyday experiences that make up our lives, and I'll always continue doing that. But I also want my memory keeping to reflect the things that interest me, the subjects I love learning about, and the experiences that have shaped the way I see the world.
October's Sense of Wonder theme has reminded me that those interests are an important part of my personal history. Some have been with me since childhood, while others have developed as I've gotten older.
I think it would be fun to look back through my photographs and memories with that in mind. I suspect I'll find some connections I hadn't noticed before, along with a few stories I've never thought to document.
