Why I Shared Old Photos Online

The Abandoned Years

Last month, I decided to share a bunch of old photos online. Most of them were from the “abandoned years,” if you know what I mean? If you’re a Gen-Xer or Boomer, you probably have a stash of digital camera photos from over a decade ago that never saw the light of day.

Back then, we weren’t sure what to do with them. Do we print them? Make albums? Where do we even put the albums? Would anyone look at them? So we did… nothing.

The Forgotten Folders

If you’re anything like me, you’ve got folders of photos buried on old hard drives or memory cards. This week, I dug into those and started uploading them. Facebook makes it easy to date each photo or album. Even if you can’t remember the exact day, you can tag them by month or year.

Once posted, Facebook slides those images into your Timeline. You’ll see a notice like, “Jeremy added 32 photos from July 2011 to the album Alaska Life.” It even adds a little collage, which is pretty slick.

Be Ready for Reactions

Here’s the thing, though. If someone skips the caption and just clicks the pics, they might assume they’re current. One friend thought Nicole was expecting again! Oops. (She’s not.) So just be ready… some people might get a little confused.

Once I started posting, I couldn’t stop. Those old photos reminded me that those years were actually really awesome. Forgotten hikes, toddler smiles, northern sunsets, and it all came back.

From the comments and likes, I could tell our friends and family were enjoying the flashback too. And yes, to anyone who got annoyed by the sudden flood of photos… my bad. (Thanks for the grace!)

What About You?

Maybe it’s time to dig out that dusty hard drive or flip through that old album. Social media isn’t going away, and your story matters. Share old photos online. You’ll be glad you did, and so will the people who love you.

Scripture reminds us of the value of remembering.

“I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.” (Psalm 77:11 ESV)

Old photos are one small way we reflect on God’s faithfulness through the years.

Join the Conversation; Share Your Thoughts

• Do you have folders of digital images that no one has seen?
• Have you ever shared old photos online? What was the response?
• How do you see God’s hand in those forgotten moments?