Throwing out old photographs...

[Kim]

Today, I decided that I needed to go through all my pictures and my notebooks (I write a lot) and toss out everything that has to do with past relationships. WHEW, there was a lot. I am dating a really nice man and though he stated that we are both 50ish (well I'll be there in 2 years) and have obviously both had a PAST and other relationships and neither of us should have any worries about that, I felt it was something I need to do. I'm not a jealous person in any way, shape or form so it wouldn't bother me to run across anything of someone else's but I don't want him feeling bad or "inferior" because maybe there were happy pictures or I wrote something great about someone else.

I had decided a month or two ago that I was gonna do this "soon" but truthfully, at THAT time,  I wasn't sure I COULD! BUT, I asked myself....."Would I ever hope to get back together with these  people in my lifetime if the occasion ever arose"  I thought about this long and hard and decided that although they were BOTH very good men who I still regard them as wonderful people who treated me like a prinscess, our relationship as a couple had run its course. I'm happy to have had them in my life but its time to move on.

It was a little tough because I was close to the families of these guys and in fact, they say they miss me still.

Has anyone else ever done this? Was it tough?

[carol machulski]

I haven't done this but once nor considered it since as these photos are part of my history These are generally photos of happier times and since some are of my kids's father, I feel that I should keep them. I should think it would be tougher to break relationships that developed with the family of a person with whom you are no longer in a relationship. 

[Ursula]

This is such a personal decision and obviously one that you are not making lightly.  I am not a person who writes journals or takes pictures, but I find myself asking what if I was, and I decided these things would represent my personal history, part of me.  So I don't think I would throw them away, but I also would not have them on display.  Surely your friend is not going to go snooping through your personal things, so how would he ever see them?

And I just realized I do have my wedding pictures tucked away from my first marriage that ended in divorce 24 years ago.  Again tucked away, part of my history.

I'm sure you will make the right decision for you!

[Kim]

Well, I still have all photos of my kids' dad, even wedding. I even have pictures of these former boyfriends but mostly in group shots and they are enough for ME to look and remember but not enough to hurt someone else. I write BIOS of these people and what they mean to me. I don't know WHY, I just write EVERYTHING. Well, NOT everything or with my luck I would die and it would cause some kind of scandal in my family....LOL! ANYWAY, I definitely wanted to get rid of the written stuff. and some of that was in scrapbooks.

[Grandma Helen]

I have scanned almost all of my old family photos onto my laptop and then onto Photobucket, but I still can't get myself to throw out all the photos of my kids, even my exhusband, and the rest of the family.  I talked about throwing out my wedding album, but thought my kids have a right to have them.  Their father is in them too.  He's not really in touch with my sons, but it's their place to get rid of them when I'm gone.  I don't have any photos of any old flames.  I did find one photo back in 2006 that put me on a hunt to find a guy I knew in high school.  We've developed a really good friendship.  You never know what can come of old photos.  

[Leftygrl]

When I moved I threw out my wedding album as well as my wedding dress. I doubt my daughter would want them either.

As far as family photos, I still have them. Yes, they are of happy times - so I'm not sure if I want to get rid of them. 

[Karin M Fichtner]

I have both photos and videos from "back then"...... And I'm not throwing any of them away! I have arranged my kids' pictures....growing up, getting married, having a family.....in albums that I am giving to them as soon as I have a way to get them up here. Two years ago, I organized all my youngest son's pictures....all the way from baby pics to the birth of his daughter. Recent shots he wanted....of his brother an sisters and their families....as well as some of me......I put into a folder and burned to a disk. It's what he said he wanted for Christmas that year. My childrens' father is still in many pictures. I also have my second husband....wedding shots and all.....and a couple of the guys I dated over the years. The only ones I got rid of are the pics of my last husband; I went through them all and threw them out when we divorced. I have never regretted it.

[flippr 2.0]

my brother's widow has all the old videos of my drag-racing wins and car shows but won't give them up,the b**** won't even let me make copies.

[Lilrain]

Spiteful heifer!

[Karin M Fichtner]

That's just plain mean. They can't mean anything to her; she's just doing that out of spite.

[flippr 2.0]

yup

[Grandma Helen]

My oldest son used to have a bumper sticker that said "Mean people suck".  I thought you needed a divorce to have mean spirited people to come out.  Sorry you can't get those videos.  

[Lilrain]

I was cleaning out and decided to throw away a pair of shades my ex had, I remembered the day and how he cracked one lens and decided they were taking up space so I threw them out and don't you know after 25 years he came to visit me where I live now . We now call every Christmas to wish each other a good one.