Family Albums

On the train into DC this morning, I was struck by an interesting idea. We often refer to our circles of friends as "families of choice," but I'm missing a family album!

I remember sitting with my parents, poring over the photos of my father in Africa or our family when we lived in San Diego. Dozens of photos, each one with a story. It's a cliche, but when you bring your boyfriend home to meet the parents, the family album is a way to introduce the family to them.

I don't have anything like this for my family of friends. I don't have a single picture of any of my LJ friends, for instance. I don't have a way to introduce a new friend to my circle and the stories we've accumulated.

I'm envisioning a web site where I could arrange accounts for my friends to upload photos with captions or stories. Perhaps even allow them to create accounts for their friends, so I could browse through my "extended family" as well. When I visit my parents and they ask me what's going on in my life, I could show them.

"Here's my friend Tod running in the Chicago marathon. Here's Greg -- he lost fifty pounds. This is a group of us at Doug's birthday; he's wearing the hat I gave him."

Heck, I could let my parents upload their photos too -- let my friends see where my parents are parking their RV this week. My mom takes great photos!

Later on, as friends move away or pass on, I could visit my family album and the memories there.

Remembering

Sometimes I understand a song when I didn't really "get it" before. Now it seems so obvious what the song's about that I wonder why I didn't catch it before.

I'm listening to "I Remember" by Mark Weigle. Listening to this song puts me in mind of all the men who died of AIDS and all the men left alone. I try to imagine what that would be like to see your lover, your ex-lovers, your friends ravaged by this disease and wondering when it will be you, then the slow realization that you won't be joining them -- you have to live your life.

grandma's the only one back home
who really understands
we've both lost a husband now
so many of our friends
it's looking like I might have a lifetime
still ahead of me
a life I never dreamed I'd see

I never lived this and I know that I can't possibly imagine what it's like. I'm just sitting at my desk in the client's office, listening and counting my blessings.