SHOTBOX, COVID-19 and Connections
The following is pulled from an interview hosted by Taralyn Parker at the Family Connections Experiment with SHOTBOX’s Aaron Johnson:
Taralyn: How have you seen families thinking outside of the box with their SHOTBOX?
Aaron: It can be used as an ice-breaker at family activities, or an accessory to activities like with cooking - you take pictures and then those family recipes become heritage items.
Taralyn: On your website, I also saw someone mentioned one of their kids was doing stop-animation inside the SHOTBOX. And my cousin has an etsy crochet business so I feel I should get her one for that. How can we use the SHOTBOX to preserve our current memories?
Aaron: We have two SHOTBOX set up in my home. My daughter uses it for her artwork which she is constantly drawing. When she wants a quick photo to send off to her friends on different platforms she just uses a SHOTBOX. My wife uses it to take pictures of food. We also use it for business. If I need a fax, a document in my office, etc. I go to my SHOTBOX.
Taralyn: How has preserving your memories strengthened and helped your own family?
Aaron: I often use the experience of my mom’s journal in 1945. She was 16. She wrote every single day in pencil, so it’s fading. It’s priceless to us. She passed away from colon cancer in 2000. Now, I have nieces who have read that journal, as well as my kids. It has been preserved and uploaded onto FamilySearch so it’s available.
A good friend of mine uses the SHOTBOX to take pictures of his scriptures because he has so many notes and wants his kids to know what he was thinking when he read scripture.
Taralyn: How have you been connecting with your family during 2020?
Aaron: We’ve been really active with our grandkids. They are constantly looking for paper and pens. They throw their drawings all over the table and I gather it all up. So, it kinda goes back to 'don’t miss the moment'. It’s also a time to talk with our family. We spend more time together. My relationship with each and every one of them and my wife has improved.
Taralyn: What else do you think we should know?
Aaron: A saying that I like is “knowledge of the past brings understanding to the present and hope to the future.” Knowing how something happened gives us a perspective that maybe is more forgiving. And knowing what your ancestors went through and how they overcame it does nothing but good for us. They are speaking from the grave and urging us on and I think that is the power of understanding and knowing our past.
Click here to view the entire interview on YouTube!
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