Memories

“Twenty-three snapshots of San Francisco” got me thinking about memories. I always thought that taking pictures was a great way to remember events that occurred in your life, because memories can be skewed and altered to not be exactly what occurred. But then as Lindberg showed, photos are skewed as well. You have to create scenarios that you think occurred to connect the dots of the photos. Lindberg is describing a photo and states “But I don’t remember anyone like that when we were there so the picture probably just cause someone mid-stride”(Pg. 86). This quote demonstrates that the person who even took the pictures is unsure of what is occurring and is making up “facts” to explain. This is what occurs in memories. You remember bits and pieces but create ties between them to create a whole memory, being it reality or imagination.  Through out the descriptions of photos Lindberg uses phrases such as “I think” (Pg 86) and “can’t tell” (Pg 85) to illustrates how photos are just devices to hold people create a whole memory, but even the photos aren’t enough. All in all, memories seem to be lost no matter what. The over all feeling that was achieved was not. Lindberg, before describing all the photos, says he know there are no smiles, he describes a sense of uneasiness and terror from that time, this is the memory that lingers, not every exact moment. The exact details of every event are not remembered, but the feelings and aftermath are.