Ok folks, I have a favor to ask of all of you. You take pictures, right? You have pictures right? Well, for me, for your kids, for your cousins, for historians, for your forgetful selves: WRITE ON THE BACK OF THEM!!!!!!
Stumpted on what to say since you *know* what you took a picture of? Trust me in 20 years you might not. The essential info:
1. Who are these people?
And, no, "grandpa and auntie" are not appropriate. Not even a series of first names are appropriate. And for Heaven's sake never is it appropriate for the only thing you write on the back of the picture to be "Can you tell who is standing on the porch?"!!!!!! Yes, one of my ancestors did that and should I get to travel with The Doctor, I'm going back and slapping whichever annymous hand wrote that everso helpful message!
2. Where is this?
Wanna be really helpful? Don't just say "Aunt Hazel's house" -- give at least a city, better yet a street and city.
3. When was it?
Years. Years are our friends. Years and months, and even actual dates are good.
4. Why was it?
What's the reason for the picture to exist -- "typical Friday night dinner," "Maudie's trip to Disneyland," "Harold got a nerw tractor," "Betsy's roses," "Christmas stitching gift from Chris."
Come on people, help me out here. Besides, for those of you with teenagers you want away from video games for a couple hours or off their skateboards for a Saturday, what better way than to enlist them to sit down with you and grandma/pa and figure out what your family pictures are actually of. They can help write preliminary notes for a family tree. The grandfolks will feel respected and for once you won't have to shout "don't you have something better to do than play on that computer?"
Just a thought.........
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