Rebecca Nolen, Historical Diaries, writing

Last year I added all my vinyl records to my computer with an ION turntable. Most of the records I’d kept since I was 16 so there were quite a few. The job is complete. Now I’m wondering what to do with the turntable. My son taught me how to sync all my music to something called “Google Music Manager” which is in the CLOUD. All my documents and photos are also automatically synced and saved in Google Drive which is also in the cloud. Pretty exciting stuff that is. Now when my computer catches fire, or implodes in some way half expected every six months, it doesn’t matter! Whee!

The second job I set out to do in 2012 is complete now, too. I added all my audio cassette tapes to the computer with an ION tape converter. Life is amazing. I got rid of both my vinyls and my cassette tapes. I’m free! You would understand my elation if you were to glimpse the normal state of my work/art studio/study. I have a sign that says – This Mess Is A Place. It is what it is. I’m working on it.

My next state-of-the-world job is to convert all my slides to the computer. I have all my grandfather’s slides. He hand painted four-inch by four-inch glass plates with most of the stories of the Old Testament in pictures, and Pilgrim’s Progress in pictures. He was a missionary in South Africa where he would go into “the bush” to present the stories to the African people(Zulu). They loved him. It was illegal for him to do it (Apartheid) but there was nothing that quite defined him as much as the word ‘determined’. There was no electricity so he took a hand-cranked generator. The slide projector held the slides two at a time. One slide would be slid in front of the light, which cast the image upon the screen (a sheet). Then the slide was pulled out the other side as another slide was lit up. He had the glass panes converted to 8mm slides in the seventies. The glass slides were then sent to the Emmaus Bible College library.

Pilgrim’s Progress is one of the best books in the world for understanding life. Next to the Bible it is probably one of the most important books in the world. My favorite part in the book is the Slough of Despond. Pilgrim falls into it. I can tell you, I’ve fallen into that slough a few times, too. We used to live in a part of the country where swamps and wetlands were not uncommon. Sloughs (pronounced ‘slow’) are where extra water drains from the swamp or river when there is a lot of rain. So the slough often prevents floods. The thing about a slough is this – it’s dangerous, full of quicksand, or in Sugar Land full of quick-mud, which can be just as bad. Sloughs don’t look dangerous. The grass grows lush and green, the ground looks flat and safe to walk on. So in the book Pilgrim throws off his burden of sin to step forward toward the Celestial City. But that isn’t how it works. If you think you are making life easier by getting rid of stuff, there is always more and sometimes worse stuff to take its place. Christian (Pilgrim) falls in the slough up to his neck. Sometimes I can’t get away from feeling worthless, dejected, and stupid and I must cry out for help. Pilgrim cries out for help and he is rescued.

I could then skip ahead and talk about Castle Despair and the monster named Depression but I think you see what I mean. Read the book. There are newer versions that aren’t written in old English. There are picture versions. I will soon have one on my computer. I will likely publish it here so be looking for it! Meanwhile, on to getting set up to do it.

Eventually I want to check out how to convert paper files to the computer. Think of the room from getting rid of file cabinets! I’m a writer. I have file cabinets!

Thing is, I know that none of this is going to go without a hitch. There might be a slough or two. I’ll keep you posted.

Then I hope to learn how to convert VHS to DVD – and get rid of more dust collections.