Nothing like a family photo that didn't quite turn out
We send Christmas letters every year, generally including a family photo. Or, more likely, a picture of our beautiful children. Whom the people we send photos to have possibly never met, and really don’t appreciate as much as we do… but hey, it beats trying to find a photo of oneself that doesn’t emphasize… various unattractive attributes. 
But, seriously, this year I am reconsidering the standard-issue family photo. Or, at least reconsidering sending sending it to the entire distribution. Why, you may ask? Facebook, of course. I could put my photo on Facebook, and anybody who actually wanted to see it, could easily do so! I could still send photos to the people on our mailing list who are not on Facebook, right?
The only problem that I can see is that most of the people at my church seem to develop clever ways to display thier 30+ Christmas card photos of people somewhere in their house – generally in the kitchen area. Would they object to having one less photo? Would not having our smiling mugs on their wall/refrigerator/door/bulletin board somehow make us less real and important to those people? Or would they be grateful not to have to take up space with a photo of people they see every week? I don’t know. What about people far away? Do they want pictures of us? Really? Would they be just as happy to look at one on the computer, make various appreciative (or otherwise) noises, and go on their way? I’m tempted to think so.
Can sending photos of oneself be suffering the fate of snail-mail? On it’s way out, as it were? Will it just be a short blip in history, the time between the development of the cheaply reproduced photograph and the dawn of the “Information Age?”
Who can say? I guess we’ll know in about 5-10 years.
I, for one, vote FOR sending pictures.
I display our Christmas pictures, and am always sad when a card or letter comes that doesn’t include a picture. Sure, it might all be a vanity prop (“Look how many people I know”), but I like it nonetheless. I like looking at others’ displays and being reminded of people I used to know or have met and I like having others look at my display and say, “Oh, and whose kids are these? And whose kids are these?” 
I hang a ribbon across the wall and use laundry pins to clip pictures up. Then, yes, I throw most of them away in January.
Hmm. That’s true. A card or letter without a picture is kind of a letdown. Perhaps it’s our image-oriented, TV-trained culture? I like the ribbon idea. I’ve done that with Christmas cards before, but not the pictures. And I seldom toss the pictures by January – they hang on until… well, some of them are still up.
I enjoy getting the Christmas pics. And I leave ours “magneted” to the fridge until I get a new one. It makes a great collage on an otherwise ugly appliance, is an instant conversation piece, and pleases any guest that finds their picture displayed.
I’m for sending pictures too. I think it’s nice to take the initiative and show people you care enough about them to send them pictures/cards. I think Facebook is convenient in that you can post your pictures and it’s there for everyone to find if they want, but I think we should still take the time and energy to specifically choose what to send to who(m?). I don’t think it’s a vanity thing, either. People like to see how you’ve changed and even the people who see you every week like to get a picture with their card. I do, anyway.
I should try the ribbon thing. I’ve decided I like my fridge clear, they way my mom’s was growing up. And I won’t feel bad throwing them away as soon as I want to!