Pass It Down

If you grew up around a record collection, you know what it represented.

Memories, experiences, and the soundtrack to life.

When Dr. Preston Cherry told me about his dad’s record collection, you could hear the sentiment in his voice.

You build those collections over time. Record by record. Cassette box brick by CD jewel case brick, or whatever your era-dependent medium of choice may be.

Each piece of physical art has memories tied to it.

Since Preston’s parents were so young when they had him and his sister, the records were extra special.

As a young adult, he begged his dad for them. Especially as the mediums evolved and vinyl became scarce.

And then, the day came when his dad showed up, popped the trunk, and said, “I’ve got something for you.”

There it was, the whole library.

I asked him how old his dad was when he gifted it to him.

Sometime in his mid-40’s Preston remembered.

I got to point out, that despite not having a child until very recently, he was now about the same age as his dad was when the records got passed down.

“What gift do you think you’ll pass on?”

The answer doesn’t matter as much as thinking through it.

And thinking through it doesn’t matter as much as actually gifting something.

We’re all record collectors, of experiences and other formats.

It’s important to reflect on the gifts we’ve received.

It’s important to reflect on the gifts we intend to pass on.

What’s your “record collection” equivalent?