At the concert last night I learned that Paul McCartney and I have something in common. Who knew?

It's photos we have in common.  Old photos from childhood, from past events and of people meaningful to our lives.  Imagine how surprised I was to see a slide show of a collection of photos opening the concert on the very day I started a blog that will feature the same type of photos in my life.  Of course his slide show was much more creative and complex than anything I could do on my computer.  Still, it made me start thinking about why theses pieces of chemically coated paper and tin (and now days in digital format) are so important to us.  Why is it when we watched the residents of Moore, Oklahoma last week searching through the rubble of their houses, they were so excited to find a single photograph?  If they found no photos, why did they lament the loss?  I think it is because we want to have tangible proof of our memories.  Before photography was a staple of our lives, locks of hair or portraits of the rich were the objects to which we attached those memories.  Even prehistoric cave paintings show a need to capture a memory in a way that could be preserved.  Photos without a story attached can be art or it can be just a snapshot thrown in a shoebox.  Photos with a story attached becomes a memory that can be recalled or retold with every viewing.  That is the premise of my blog.  Sometimes a photo I will use recalls an event and the details surrounding the event.  Sometimes a photo of a person recalls my fondness and love for that person.  Sometimes a photo shifts from the person who is the central figure to the details in the background generating an entirely different set of memories.  Sir Paul's photos and videos showed us glimpses of his childhood.  The photos took us into the studio recording sessions.  The photos showed us events in his life that were important to him.  We may not know all the stories attached to those photos, but he does.  We all have something in common with Sir Paul McCartney besides his music.  We all share with him the need for tangible evidence of memories.  We need photos.

Photo my son took of me in the lobby of the FedEx Forum.  Used with permission.