1905 Sunday School Class of Blanche Hatch Nelson's (My Great Grandmother)
I'm not certain, but I think the gentle looking young lady by the blue arrow is Blanche. She seems a sweet one, doesn't she?
My eye was immediately drawn to the girl with the largest hat. Do you see her expression? Was she also wondering why she was wearing the gynormous hat? Did her mom make her wear it? Did she wonder why they had to sit out in the hot sun forever holding still for the photo? I might feel a little sour or bored too in this situation as a child.
It's fun to me to look at the expressions on each of the children's face. Like the little boy on the end with his hair parted down the middle. What was he thinking?
What would all of these kids think if they suddenly were taken to this day and time?
Would they be amazed that we have 100 different flavors of gum available on one shelf in one store? Would they think we're spoiled and wealthy with all we have? Would they even know what to do with all the options such as 20 different types of bread and 20 types of peanut butter and 20 types of jelly?
Would they be amazed that we have 100 different flavors of gum available on one shelf in one store? Would they think we're spoiled and wealthy with all we have? Would they even know what to do with all the options such as 20 different types of bread and 20 types of peanut butter and 20 types of jelly?
Sometimes I don't even know what to do with all the choices give me at the grocery or clothing store. You could spend forever reading labels and calorie information and ingredients on all the products for sale. Or spend forever searching for the one perfect blouse that won't end up being that one perfect blouse because it will shrink as soon as you wash it.
Sometimes I think we're given too many choices of things that just don't matter.... like gum and cold cereal and clothing styles and such. Oh - it's fun. But does it really matter.
We're bombarded with choices in our lives. Perhaps it's one of the blessings/trials of our day to balance the {good/better/best} choices. We spend time worrying about purchases or schtuff that don't matter much.
It all reminds me to enjoy the small stuff and live simply by not weighing myself down with choices that are frivolous - to leave room for the important matters ....
Sometimes I think we're given too many choices of things that just don't matter.... like gum and cold cereal and clothing styles and such. Oh - it's fun. But does it really matter.
We're bombarded with choices in our lives. Perhaps it's one of the blessings/trials of our day to balance the {good/better/best} choices. We spend time worrying about purchases or schtuff that don't matter much.
It all reminds me to enjoy the small stuff and live simply by not weighing myself down with choices that are frivolous - to leave room for the important matters ....
oh - and to be glad I don't have to wear gynormous hats to the sunday school picnic. I'll choose the simple look as Blanche did.
3 comments:
Oh, we were just talking about this theme of "the old days were such simpler times." Our kids have SO MANY toys (beanie babies and pokemon). We all have so many clothes! It's crazy. At least we only have a few baseball caps and none of those gynormous hats.
I am absolutely in love with that photo! I love that you ask the question 'what were they all thinking?' That fascinates me as well. Wouldn't it be so fun to step back in time and get to know them all. And the girl with the hugest hat, too funny! So neat, Heath, thanks for sharing. And so true about all the choices we're bombarded with today. Hopefully we can help our children make the best choices they can.
Hi - I think you're right about Blanche. The girl with the gynormous hat is Mary Bryson - she is a cousin of Great-Grandpa Nelson (Lawrence Nels). She lived with Jens & Eliza Nelson for some time - can't remember why. She's in one of the big Nelson family pictures - the one hanging in my Mom & Dad's house.
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