Are We Really Capturing the Moment?
Beauty. Experiences. Laughter. Moments. Memories. The sun bouncing glitter across the sand on a warm sunny day at the beach as you sprint to the ocean, your heart pounding through your chest right as the rollercoaster drops after moments of anticipation, witnessing a concert where the musician plays your favorite song, or the indescribable view of the sun setting at the top of a mountain. How often are moments like these missed because we try to “capture the moment”?
I have a love/hate relationship with capturing the moment. There are times when moments should definitely be documented, and I love having pictures to remind me of some of my favorite times. In fact, I think pictures and videos are wonderful reminders of some of the best moments in life. However, I think there is a difference between experiencing a moment, and spending the majority of precious time documenting it.
I had an experience with this when my husband and I visited the Taj Mahal on our trip to India. It has always been a dream of mine to visit the Taj Mahal, and witness for myself this enchanting wonder of the world. As I walked through the precious stone-encrusted gates to see the mausoleum, there were hundreds of tourists snapping pictures and videos, and very few of them were actually taking the time to soak in the beautiful masterpiece in front of us without a lens. There were selfie sticks, paid photographers, and an actual line people were waiting in to take pictures in front of specific spots. This all made it more difficult for me to really absorb all this magnificent structure had to offer. While living in Asia, I’ve noticed this a lot as well. I can’t count how many times I’ve seen someone at a really cool sight take tons of pictures and videos, and then walk away; without spending even a second really viewing it for themselves.
Documenting is great, but I would encourage all of us to slow down, put our phones/lenses away, and take time to enjoy the beauty and wonderful moments life has to offer.
