I was going through some photographs late last night because I am working on making some albums. It is funny how all of our memories can be summed up into these snap shots. I had this pile of shots dating all the way to when I was a baby (and a damn cute one at that!), up until now. There was my life, spread out before me, all fitting into one album. I found myself wondering if a stranger were to look at this album what would they think?

They would see smiley happy baby photos, dance photos, party photos birthday photos and an entire year of my life missing from that time line. Not one picture exists in print of my 14th year, does that mean something to a stranger? Would they wonder why?

So they would see a happy childhood, a hole in the timeline, various friends growing up with me and various friends fading in and out as the years went by. They would see me grow up (well not literally).

Certain years' pictures were centered around certain groups of people and yet some people remain throughout. They would see my parents age and my brother grow up as well. Is this what my life is? One picture album? They would see vacations and trips, competitions and school proms.

So my question would be what would a stranger think of me, looking at this album? Each of these pictures mean something special to me. A happy memory, a painful memory, a good story, a funny story, a loved one, they all mean something.

When my grandparents house burnt down they lost everything, except their pictures. They had 10 minutes to grab what they could and go. They grabbed their pictures.

I have been dabbing in photography for years now, even getting paid now and then. Always pictures. Always assigning a meaning to them. So really, what do pictures really mean?

They are all just a memory