I was out at a local park the other day and realized something was missing. Our town used to have two cannons, one at Fort Walla Walla State Park and one at Pioneer Park. But a visit to FWW proved disappointing; one of our beloved cannons was gone. I vaguely remember some controversy about whether it should be moved or not. And in the end it was moved. That got me to thinking.It's important to realize that things don't stay, neither do they stay the same. Taking photos and writing about those things which are common to you is a way of documenting today, so that when changes occur, it is not lost forever.
The photos above are of the other cannon in Walla Walla. It is located in the historic Pioneer Park. The inscription is self-explanatory. It is a piece of history. Usually, things that mean something to us aren't just moved out of state. Often it is other circumstances beyond our control; a fire, a natural disaster, or simply remodeling that takes away places that our memories live. Take a moment the next time you're out to take a picture of a place that has meaning to you.
This cannon, incidentally is not just a historic piece, it also holds childhood memories for me. My best friend and I lived just a block away from the park. We often took a sack lunch to the park and ate on top of the cannon. When we were done eating, we'd toss our crusts inside the cannon, so the squirrels could hide out and have a snack later.
Take a moment to take a photo of the places that mean something to you. Tomorrow that special place may not be there. So take that photograph and then WRITE NOW-BECAUSE IT'S LATER THAN YOU THINK. ~Karen
15 comments:
Hi Karen,
Great pictures! You're so right about preserving and documenting the moment, either through pictures and/or writing. I recently discovered that the house I grew up in no longer exists. Your post has given me some incentive to take a much-needed drive to the little mountain town I grew up in, to take pics and do some writing about the places that are still there... and all those other buildings & places that have disappeared over the years. (It should be an interesting adventure.) Thanks for the inspiration!
That is fabulous Denise. Please come back and share about your adventure. Or if you blog about it, let us know. There are a few places from my childhood that are no longer there. In that case, writing about it has to suffice. Thanks for visiting. ~Karen
Oh Karen, that is such an important warning. I grew up in Los Alamos, NM. The town is 7,000 feet up in the mountains, and surrounded by a panorama of peaks. Even as a child I was thrilled with the scenery there. In 2000 a devastating fire (caused by Forest Service incompetence) charred those slopes. When I visited a few months later, I wept buckets at the sight of those charred sticks on the hillsides. Today I treasure the few photos I have been able to find of Los Alamos Before.
Sooner or later your town historical society will appreciate having pictures of local landmarks, be they ever so humble.
So true Ritergal-I often look at photos of our downtown area from say, the 1940's and wonder, 'will someone look at photos from 2008 with the same nostalgia some day?' It seems impossibly boring to take those photos now. But you are right, they are the history of tomorrow.
Karen, sorry I didn't get you linked last week but I put up a link for this post on the list this week. And welcome aboard!
Hi Karen,
Travis sent me.
This post is so on the money.
Just today I was thinking that I have to set aside one small item for each of my grandkids, so that years from now, they can look at it and remember the fun we had.
Maybe I'll write them a story or two as well.
Terrie
Hi Karen,
Thanks for visiting my blog.
It's true it doesn't take long for things to change. Taking photos is an excellent way of preserving the past for your family.
Hello from your southwest Washington neighbor! Travis sent me. :)
Great photos- and great reminder. I know that when I was growing up my father used to remark on how much things had changed, and I never did quite get it... until now. It's true that photographs are a way to bring the past alive, and I'm always excited about any reason to take more photographs of anything historical.
Great photos and a good point about how quickly things change. Wish I had a photo of the strawberry field across from Disneyland that disappeared a few years ago.
Linda
You are so right about preserving our histories---including our personal histories. So--here is the missing cannon?
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