How do we good-bye?
"I hope you don't forget me. Don't forget how much we love, how much we close, even we'll apart."
Before this century where we can scroll instagram and see our friend who lives half a world away posting pictures 3 minutes ago, moving just to another city can be the last time you see each other.
Marriage, changing jobs, graduation. Last century, tons of 2 inches portrait photographs were exchanged and given away as a memory token, and the writing on the back of them is a good-bye. The handwritings are neat calligraphy, and the wordings are beautifully crafted from the heart.
‘Love’, ‘don’t forget’, ‘thank you’, 'don't destroy'. In Thai culture where feelings seem to not for saying out loud, the writings in the back of these photographs are brutally honest. Some are lamely cute, some are adorably funny when reading from today’s perspective, and some are weighted with emotion gravity unbelievable can put into words.
And as people did say goodbye, moved, grew, changed, photographs given is the only thing never changes. Photographs indicate that they are still near and still the same down the memory lane. Photographs never age, never forget, never let go, no matter how long they had wave good-bye, or they may not on this world anymore, thought outlive them and lingering in these memento.
I picked these photographs up from flea market. Seeing and reading them feels like sneaking into someone's personal life, a glimpse into their vulnerable time. Collecting a relationship artefacts is to wander and build up a stories of what happened and what their life looks like. The life of photographs and words get reinterpreted and reimagined. How they meet, how they apart, what's these feelings for, how they keep it, and finally, how it end up in sale box at flea market.
"Give this to Prachoom Gocharoen, my best friend, as a memento when we're apart."
"For Teacher Pramuan to look at sometimes, with high respect."
"This picture is so meaningful in our good time. And when bad time come, my friend, please don't destroy."
"For my beloved little Nid to look at in free time. Hope you don't destroy it when angry."
"Our friendship will never decay, may we won't destroy it."
"Give this photo to my best friend (I love you so much my heart fell down to my knees), for when we're apart."
"Time goes by, world spins, but our friendship will never untie. As long as world still spinning and sun still shining, one day we will meet again, I promise, we will rotate back to be each other's best 'friend' and 'enemy'. Could you promise me?, my Four Eyes?"
"Do you remember, once?"
"Always adore and care."
"I smile when I meet you."
"For Pimprapai to look at when you miss me."
"I hope you don't forget me. Don't forget how much we love, how much we close, even we'll apart."
"Please love me forever."
