How do people measure time, exactly? By periods of good and bad, by how many years they lived, or by how their appearance has changed over time? We can look at the pictures of our youth and see how different we looked and wonder whether we really feel that differently.
There’s a dedicated community on Reddit where people post photographs of themselves then and now: the Past And Present Pics subreddit. Whether it’s re-enactions of family portraits, wholesome married couples, or precious photos recreated by different generations, one thing is clear: we’d all be lucky to have what these people have.
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#1 First And Last Photos With My Dad
© Photo: Seviernurse
#2 Mojo And I In 2005 And 2024. This Year, He Turns 20 And I Turn 50
© Photo: Dr_Ponzu
#3 Decided I Needed A Shift From The Same Ol’ Body – 350lbs Down To 194
© Photo: Moobygriller
One way to think about life is in terms of stories: ultimately, everyone has a story to tell. We can look at every person as a collection of experiences. If they decide to share it, it can be a memoir of some sort, whether it’s written, photographed, filmed, painted, etc.
Perhaps that’s why we like going down memory lane so much. It’s a way to remember our stories, to map out our personal history. Who knows, perhaps many years from now, your grandkids or great-grandkids will open your journal or your photo album and get a glimpse of what life was like before their time?
#4 My Japanese Grandma Who Survived World War 2
© Photo: AdGrouchy8078
#5 2022 Chemo vs. Now 2024
© Photo: User
#6 My Wife And Me At Age 20 And At Age 58 – Still Having A Blast With Each Other
© Photo: doublecowboy
According to Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development stages, when we get older, we’re more prone to reflect and reminisce about our lives. At this stage of our lives, we feel fulfillment if we’re happy about the choices we made or if we regret anything.
According to Erikson, if we’re happy with the lives that we live, we feel we have wisdom. If not, the disappointments and regrets lead to bitterness and despair. In Erikson’s framework, this stage starts at about 65 years and continues until the end of life. But we don’t need to wait for years to pass by if we want to preserve our personal histories. We can start recording right now.
#7 1972, The Year We Met And 2024
© Photo: Ancient_Timer2053
#8 I Just Lost My Gram This Week At 94. Always A Babe ♥️
© Photo: shell_raiser
#9 My Parents, 1966 To 2023
© Photo: baccgirl
For those who want to record their personal histories, some people specialize in that very thing. Amy Woods Butler, the founder of the memoir-writing service The Story Scribe, writes that creating a memoir benefits both the author and those who will read/listen to/watch it. As we do it, we make sense of our experiences and lives for ourselves, but we also leave some wisdom behind for future generations.
#10 My Wife And Daughter. Not Sure That I Contributed Anything Genetically
© Photo: Tristan_Leger
#11 Grandpa At 15 And 79
© Photo: James_Tiberius
#12 Grandad 1959 First Pub Visit When He Was 18 – Now In The Pub 84
© Photo: oli10play
Of course, people can record their memoirs themselves. If sitting down and simply coming up with an outline seems too daunting, memoir writers recommend the interview technique. Even if it’s a sort of an autobiography, authors can try interviewing themselves. “Ask yourself introspective questions like, ‘What was the most meaningful moment in your life?’, ‘What are you most proud of? Why?’ Use your responses to this self-interview to guide your outline,” Felice León writes for NPR.
#13 2004-2024 Kindergarten To Married
© Photo: Amore_vitae1
#14 Girls Trip, 2007 And 2024
© Photo: ginger_wahine
#15 My Grandma’s Turning 101 In April 2025
© Photo: User
A memoir is the history of a person, but it doesn’t have to include the things the person lived through they’re not comfortable to share. León claims that every subject has agency over their personal story. And, as Shanita Hubbard, the author of Ride Or Die: A Feminist Manifesto For The Well-Being Of Black Women told her in an interview, you can show only the healed version of yourself. “I only show my scars, not my wounds,” Hubbard said.
#16 My 95 Year Old Grandmother In Front Of Her Portrait
© Photo: User
#17 August 2005 – Christmas Eve 2024
© Photo: DecaffinatedSquirrel
#18 My Parents In 1987 vs. Now. They’ve Been Married For 36 Years. 💗
© Photo: No-Director-9650
At the same time, the author of a memoir has a lot of power. A person’s life inevitably includes other people, and sometimes, they might remember things differently. That’s why León recommends talking to friends, family, and acquaintances about events to fact-check if they really happened the way you remember them.
#19 My Beautiful Mom. 32 And 93
© Photo: saveitforthedisco
#20 My Mum And Me (1990) Me And My Daughter (2023) 🥰🥰
© Photo: Severe-Marsupial-727
#21 13 vs. 45
© Photo: Plenty-Log6688
Recording family history can be just as significant. In a 2023 YouGov survey, the majority of Americans said that their grandparents have been either very (39%) or somewhat (33%) influential in their lives. Yet not every grandchild knows their grandparents very well, as a 2019 poll by Ancestry found out that most grandkids want to hear about their grandparents’ childhoods and younger years the most.
#22 My Husband And I ’87 And ’24
© Photo: User
#23 My Husband And I 31 Years Ago And Last Week
© Photo: Psychica-Bilities
#24 My Sister And I – 1989 And 2025
© Photo: MIKE11481
Recording a family member’s story can sometimes be difficult as well. Firstly, they might not want to tell you anything at all. “I’ve got nothing to tell,” they might say. However, as Kate Carter, founder and CEO of LifeChronicles, told WIRED, making it about the family might convince them. She suggests saying something like, “This would mean so much to me and to future generations of our family.”
#25 2006 To Now, My Girl Wolverine Is 18.5 Years Old!
© Photo: Lenaiscool__
#26 My Wife And I In 1989-Present
© Photo: livewire167
#27 My Dad And His Siblings In 1968 And In 2024
© Photo: Acidflightgoat
One of the most important things is to know what questions to ask (or what not to ask!). Ancestry experts recommend having a list of questions ready before you talk to them. Together with asking them things about when and where they were born and what their job was, ask things like: “Who was your hero growing up?”, “What traits do you think are common in your family?”, and “Did you have a favorite hang-out spot?”
#28 My Mom And Her Parents (1982) // Me And My Parents (2009)
© Photo: axolotls_anon
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