Above is a picture of my great-grandfather. His name was Leon, but they called him Leo. I never knew the man. I believe he had passed on by the time I was born. I’ll have to check on that and get back to you. Here is why I am posting his picture here. While reading Our Wisconsin magazine the other day, there were black and white pictures filling the pages of time gone by. Looking at them, you could really feel the moment in which they were taken. There was no color, no 3D aspect to them, but there was emotion in the expressions on the peoples faces and you could see in their body language. In a world of such advancement, it was striking to me that powerful impact these simple pictures had.

This is a picture of my great uncle Ray. Him I met. Although he did pass away quite a few years ago. I recall him being a very dedicated bachelor. He lived by himself and was a very avid outdoorsman. Also, very thrifty gent. If he was only eating a little bit, he would cut a paper plate in half. Seems crazy to me, but when you grew up going through the great depression I suppose that is how you are wired. Looking at this picture, I wonder what life was like for him as a youth. What formed the attitudes he carried. What made him pick out the shirt he was wearing. What was fashion like when he was young? Pictures often provide as many questions as they do answers. What they always do is lead us to great reflection.

Here is a black and white photo of my lovely lady and I. There are probably a million color photographs of us together. I might honestly be off by one or two. Still, this is one of everyone’s favorites. Just like the photos of my ancestors above, I think the lack of color may help but strengthen the emotion emitted. Try looking into some old pictures you have come across. They do not have to be of long gone relatives, or even people or places you know. It could just be a scene from a time that has passed. Take a hard look at the photo and imagine what the scene was like. What were the people’s lives like? What would they think of our modern world? What were their dreams and aspirations?

What purpose does reflection like this serve? I think it can better capture our ability to appreciate the present. Thinking of times past can reshape how we view our current situation. What would they be grateful to have that we take for granted? What did they have that we might be better off with? Often, I envy the simplicity of times gone by, but appreciate the convenience that we have now. Something as simple as looking at, and reflecting on, a black and white photograph can shift our perception of the present. What do you think the pictures you take now will tell others when they look at them decades from now? What have you ever learned from looking at pictures of the past?