As I held Kingston and thumbed through the used records, looking for old jazz albums for an upcoming photoshoot, the thought came to me that my little boy would never have the chance to buy music from a music store
This caused me to wondering what else my child would never experience that had been a staple of my own childhood.
As a photographer, I realized my son will not know what it is like to put a film in the camera and then have to wait days to see what the photos look like because the film had to be sent away to be processed.
Kingston may never know the joy of carrying on a correspondence with real letters, especially the handwritten kind. He may miss the warm feelings that come from pulling out those old letters to reread again and again.
Passing a note in class was the staple of communication when I was in school. A letter with little hearts drawn on it when you where discussing the latest boy you had a crush on (ok so only us girls drew the little hearts). Now it is short fragements texted.
Will newspapers in the hard copy form still exist when Kingston is old enough to read and understand them?
Kingston may never know what it is like to have a phone in the home that is plugged into the wall. Will he ever have to memorize a phone number?
Remember when you needed information, you had to look it up in an encyclopedia or talk to someone to get an answer?
Kingston may never have to grace the doors of a library to get information.
Pay phones? Try and find one of those anymore.
It was so exciting during the Christmas season to get the TV Guide (do those even exist now anymore) and circle when all the Christmas movies would air. If you missed it you had to wait an entire year before you had the chance to see it again. There was something so magical about looking forward to those movies. Now, Kingston can pop it in anytime of the year. Christmas in July anyone?
Will kids still look out the window during a long drive and just daydream? Will Kingston have a moment when he isn’t “plugged in”.
Kingston will never have the joy of watching Star Wars and not know that Darth Vader is Luke’s father.
Will Kingston ever have the excitement of opening the mailbox to see a handwritten envelope with his name on, inviting him to a party? Will he only ever know an e-invite or virtual card?
Lately I have been feeling the need for nostalgia. Feeling the need to slow down. Feeling the need to recapture the things of yesterday that seem to be slipping away.
Although there are many things that my son will not experience that I did, the one thing for sure that he won’t miss out on is the love I have for him. The same deep all encompassing love that my mother gave me and that her mother gave her. Even with all that has changed in this world, what hasn’t changed is a babies need to be held, cradled and loved. Love will never change.
