A few years ago I realized that our home VHS tapes were not a "forever" item.  VHS tapes will not last, I am told.  Since we had some very important tapes of loved ones that are no longer with us, old AND young, I decided to convert them and of course old 8mm movies that were so popular in the 70's and 80's.  (That is the 1900's in case you were thinking something else.)

The movie issue brought up another challenge, which after some research, I semi-solved by buying a conversion box, that through smoke and mirrors (well, mirrors anyway), am able to make the copy at least "watchable" with a minor bit of "flutter".  Could never adjust that flutter out of it.  Actually the flutter elands an old time value to the pieces.  I put the movie projector shinning in one mirror, and your camcorder in another mirror and puff!  You get a copy you can work with and have saved it from time!

So the RECOVERY PROJECT began. I began with the most important little lady on the list. On the day I left Fort Dix, New Jersey for Desert Storm, my daughter Amy gave birth to our first Granddaughter, Shayla.   There were quite a few VHS tapes of Shayla who was with us for too short of a time (15 months).  The tapes were in danger of degrading so I went about to find what programing I had or could get to convert VHS to DVD.  It just so happened I had the tool sitting right on there on my desk.   I was able to get an Apple Computer (and since have upgraded new ones along the way) and they have the package programs that fit the bill!  I connected the VHS recorder/viewer up to the computer, opened up the iMovie (in those days the "i" part hadn't been added yet) and made the movie of the tape.  From there I downloaded the movie into the DVD program that came with the package and converted the movie into DVD format and burned an appropriate number of copies for family distribution!  Ta DA!!!   Success!  That then lead to other VHS conversion projects and then to the dreaded 8mm movie conversions.  That was a blast and I am STILL not finished with all those movies. I have movies of Mom and Dad on their Hawaii vacation starting out at the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport flying over empty fields and parking lot of the old Metropolitan Stadium that is now the Mall of America!  It was a fun project as I got to go to the local Discount store and buy music for the background (Don Ho-"Tiny Bubbles" stuff)  There was a large learning curve, and now that there have been updates on the programs (this was started five or six years ago) I am afraid there will be LOTS of re-learning on how it all works together...again.

But I did get a pretty big hunk of movies converted and copies made and sent to my brothers and sister so they would have some family history in movie form.  Family History is important to some.  I would love to think it is important to everyone, but that would be too much to hope for, I suppose.  I think this is going to be a "one of those days I'll get back to it" times.  Maybe writing about it will get me back, because there are still a bunch of 8mm movies to convert, and as the little dwarves say in my World of Warcraft game "Daylights burning!"  All you WOW players out there will understand . . . the others, not so much.   So to say the RECOVERY PROJECT is done, or even close to being done, would be a stretch.  The word: Priorities seems to come to mind at times like these.  Thinking:  "I got the REAL important parts of the family history saved, time to rest a bit and then continue."  How's that working for me?  I'm getting the resting part down to a science!  Sometimes I hate it when this happens and I have to kick start myself back to doing things I would rather put off for a while longer.  Have you ever felt like that?  Bet you have . . . it would make me feel better if you were like me on that point.  Misery loves company. . . know what I mean?  ha ha

Family IS important.  Family history IS important.  It is a record of WHO we are and even perhaps why we are.  My grandparents are wonderful examples of overcoming adversity.  My Grandpa Saffell had polio when he was a child and his Aunt took him in as her child to care for him and love him.  Through that act of Godly LOVE, he grew to be a good man, had a family of four children (two girls - two boys) a wonderful wife (who made the BEST Silver Dollar Pancakes), and retired as a Senior Auditor for the Federal Reserve Bank system in 1963.  He started my Dad out with a Printing Business that was in business for over 50 years.  That is nothing short of WONDERFUL, don't you think?  My Grandpa Rockart, on my Mother's side, did whatever he thought he could do, not to be restricted by something as trivial as not knowing anything about the job before getting hired!  His motto was "Get yourself hired...then learn the job".  He ended up as a Heating Engineer, designing the Minneapolis School System's school building heating systems.  Of course with today's technologies, his theory is pretty much a "no-go" at this level of gadgetry, and high tech knowledge...but in his time, it worked!  His brother was in on building of the Minnesota State Capitol Building, so it ran in the family I am guessing!
     
So here is the point to this story: Family History is very IMPORTANT because it gives you examples of where your ancestors were and what they did.  BUT, You are not restricted to who you are presently.  You can change.  With God's guidance, prayer, and a GOAL, you CAN make a different path than the one you are currently on.  I know of one devoutly Christian young man that pulled himself up from high powered drug abuse that had overwhelmed him.  Though God's Grace, and his unknowing  at the time, how God was working in his life, was able to kick his drug abuse, turn his life over to Jesus Christ and is now a strong example and leader to bringing others to follow and to lean on Jesus, to be a productive and creative member of society.  There are so many people out there that NEED to know that even though your father and your father's father may not have been pillars of the community, through the Love of Jesus Christ, there is NOTHING that can stop you from being who you need to be. Overcoming adversity is something we ALL have to do on occasion.  Being less than you should be, shouldn't be an option, don't you think?  This is one of my favorite lines, that if EVERYONE could grasp the meaning, this world would not be in the shape it is in.  God does NOT make JUNK!  You are important to someone.  Buckle up Butter cup and be someone your children and their children can look back on and say:  "He/She was Fantastic!  They were a great example for our kids."  

In my opinion I would LOVE to have my ancestors looking at our family history (video or whatever he format of the time was) and say: "I would liked to have met Great Great Great Great Grandpa Gary.... he was a good man."

Time to start dragging out the VHS deck, the "magic movie conversion box" and get back to work.  AFTER church of course . . . it IS SUNDAY!   Hope you visit your church of choice today...God will smile . . . and that's important.

Blessings,
Gary