Reel to Reel Tapes sure hold their magnetism

In doing some cleaning out of storage spaces recently, I came across ten reels of magnetic tape with no labels on them. My parents had given them to me several years ago when they were cleaning up.

I was fortunate to be able to listen to there contents thanks to a friend who still has a working tape deck capable of playing them. These tapes were recorded when I was a teenager. It is amazing to hear sounds that were recorded over forty years ago. I heard one piece of a recording that continued the voice of my Mother as well as my Grandmother. It is almost like bringing those memories totally alive.

I wonder if the feelings I experience are similar to those that one experiences when looking at old photographs. I definitely think so. There is a resonance a feeling of excitement as if one is living out history. When I think of the countless hours that we spend interacting with each other that never get recorded, it makes me think about how special the glimpses and small pieces that we do record, which make that impact which is timeless. Listening to the history of my childhood got me to thinking about a cassette tape that we had made of our children at Christmas in 1996. I found it and played it, and was truly amazed at how memories were rekindled. Memories are not to be hidden behind but held up as milestones to be cherished.