March 1, 2025: The Family Movies

My dad shot a lot of home movies in the ’70s.

His camera bulb blazed like the sun, and if you made the rookie mistake of looking straight at it, you’d see spots for days.

But Dad didn’t care if he blinded us. He documented everything — birthdays, holidays, vacations — dozens of reels stacked away for safekeeping.

About once a year, we’d dig them out and set up the clunky projector and retractable screen. The process was a production: threading the film around sprocket wheels, tightening it just right. It seemed to take forever, but the anticipation only made it better. We knew treasures were about to be rediscovered.

Then, with the flick of a switch, the machine would hum to life. The footage was grainy and silent, but it didn’t matter. We were transported.

Thankfully, modern technology makes recalling memories a lot easier. Tonight, with three of our five kids home, we cast old family videos stored in Google Photos onto our flat-screen TV.

For hours, we traveled back to the early 2000s and relived the rush of newborn cries, first bike rides, summer swim meets, family gatherings, Christmas mornings. It felt so real, all over again. I’m still amazed — and deeply moved.

Movies are the closest thing there is to a time machine. So, I’m committed to recording more moments. Today’s video becomes tomorrow’s old footage.

And I’m grateful my kids won't scorch their retinas like I did in the early days. Though honestly? It was worth every blinding second.