Modern Reflections of the Past

I can still recall his face and on good days, his voice. My grandfather was my favorite person. He was more than a grandfather — he was the sturdy tree we would climb on when we were children, tossing us over his shoulder and making us laugh until we were exhausted. He was the smell of summer and the excitement that came with visiting his beach house each weekend.

My grandfather died when I was in high school, it was the longest day of my life so far.

When I first heard about The History Project and began planning our workshop series, I couldn’t help but think about him. The stories I now make up, the places my imagination goes while looking at old photos.

Working with The History Project and the team was an incredible and reflective experience. I was instantly moved by Niles’s story and all that the platform could do, organically making you think of memories that may have been tucked away in the sock drawer of our minds.

I am the Program Associate of Senior Planet, the country’s first technology themed senior center. My job allows me to work closely with the thousands of members that come through our door on a monthly basis, the most rewarding part of my job. Working with the History Project introduced me to a group of our members on a deeper level. I was able to hear their stories, their memories — their lives. What occurred before they stumbled upon our center, what brought them to us, to me.

I think technology is so important to seniors, it gives us all the opportunity to reflect on some of their favorite life moments. No matter what age you are, technology reminds us of our stories. The History Project and similar tools bring something personal to technology, something leaving us all hungry, not just for the past, but for the power of memories, and how we can create more of them.