Here is a question for you: If your home is on fire and you have a second to grab one item from your home, what would you grab?
The majority of people asked this question answer: their photo albums. Why do we place such a high value on our photographs? Photos open a window into the memories into our past; of good times, different times, and better times.
If we value our photos so much, than why are they stacked in boxes under our beds, in albums we rarely see in a closet we rarely open? For those of us who’ve moved to digital pictures; the pictures left on our camera, or computer; never developed? In organizing, if you don’t use an item, there is no purpose of keeping it. It is deemed “clutter.” But what about photographs? You can’t just throw them away right? Or can you?
In recent years Americans have spent billions of dollars printing their photos, and in 2005 13.5 million people completed scrapbooks — a multi-billion dollar industry based on preserving photos in a creative way with color, design and journaling to elaborate and share the story the images cannot do on their own. But what about us that aren’t all that creative, don’t have the time, or the thousands of dollars it takes to scrapbook?
Here is your answer — Go Digital. Transfer to CD/DVD.
Our local Occupational Development Center specializes in high quality scanning of photos, slides, and film to transfer and preserve on CD/DVD. You can now enjoy your old photographs instead of watching TV, or to have playing on the TV in the background while you have company. You can also upload the photos to a digital frame or to your computer. Either way, you can easily make a back-up copy to protect in an off-site fire safe or in a safety deposit box. It also makes sharing your photographs with loved ones easy!
Many seniors also place a very high value on photographs. As a great gift that can seal their memories and preserve the stories, have their photographs scanned and converted to digital format and play them on a digital frame so that Grandma and Grandpa can enjoy their memories year round and you can continue to add to their collection.
For those scrapbookers, preserve all the creative energy and time that you poured into your masterpieces and have the pages scanned and converted to digital as well, to save and share.
Share your memories with your family and friends, or even with your colleagues at the office rather than stowing them in a box or album unappreciated.
Contact our local Occupational Development Center at 285-3695 for additional information on high quality scanning.
Bergstrom, of Littlefork, is a professional organizer and consultant.
