The devaluing of the moment

We live in a great time…  I think, because of Facebook more people are connected than ever before.  We hardly have to leave the house for all the information that is on our computers and phones.  Our friends could be countries away, yet their daily events are posted and ready to be seen for anyone around the world….

That said…our world just got a whole lot smaller.  Technology has allowed us to live and function from the comforts of our own homes….

This can be a good thing and a bad thing.

With the advent of technology, we have lost jobs for people who are willing to work.  With the advent of technology, we don’t have to pick up the phone to call a friend, because we can just post on their walls..
With the advent of technology we don’t have to send flowers to a funeral, we can just dial it in with a comment…

With the advent of technology, we think we are more connected, but we are losing connections by the day….

The other day I had to go into the bank.  I needed exact denominations of cash, and sadly, our ATMs haven’t caught up with the times.  But that’s okay.  When I walked into the bank, there was a line.  I took my place and waited patiently.  I love people watching and making up stories of what people are actually needing to do in the bank…

A few moments went by, and I started looking around.  It was an older branch and pretty wide open.  I made a full circle, looking around and the teller spoke in my direction, “We’ll be with you in a moment, ma’am.”  I said, “No worries.  I was just seeing if you had the indoor ATM’s.”  She said, “we don’t”.  I said, “GOOD” and she looked at me funny.  Another few minutes went by and it was my turn.

I walked up to the now curious teller and I said, “I wasn’t looking for another teller, I was glad to see the machines weren’t here”.  She said, “Really?”  I said, “Ya.  At my other branch, there’s an “itchy” guy who wants to push everyone to the machine.  Interestingly enough, she knew who it was.  I then told her that if I am walking into a branch, then I need personal attention for specific transactions.  Technology can only do so much and I was glad for the conversation with the teller and I told her so.  She once again looked a little surprised at me.  But she was happy to hear it.  Most people are in such a hurry, they get grumpy and she has to deal with it.

With the advent of technology, we lose more patience….

I grabbed my denominations and was out the door, feeling a bit accomplished.  I mean, my gosh…I had to actually leave my house for some personal interaction…

I think we get so excited by the new things we can do, that we forget what we have lost.  I mean…to speak to someone on FB or text is awesome, but it will never replace that hug that we get when we actually see each other.

With the advent of technology we lose personal connection.

Snapchat is the bane of my existence.  It’s my prediction that with these new technologies, we will lose our history to computer crashes and memories that are so trained to switch per millisecond to another app that we won’t remember what actually happened in our lives.

I find myself constantly telling people on Facebook to “Print and Date” that image, because I can guarantee that unless you have a photographic mind, there is no way you will remember the details of the images you take.  I’m a photographer, I KNOW this to be true for myself.  I have lost a few hard drives over the years and of course, the ones not backed up… personal pics…

Since then I have learned to print a few key images and keep copies.  Technology is fleeting and ever changing… the snaps of today are gone in a second…the technology of Facebook could change at any second.  I think we trust too much.

I wish I could go back in time and make some changes.  First thing I would change is how I take things for granted.  Moments… Moments I thought would last longer… I thought my kids in their hellacious toddler years would go on forever..they never felt like they would end.  I wished for tantrums to pass, for drama to go away, for carpools to be replaced by summers, for hot summer days to be replaced by cold winter nights with fires burning in the fireplace…

Simply put…I wished away TIME….

Over the years and with my being a photographer and capturing moments, I have realized the value in a moment.  The treasure of a printed image that hangs on my refrigerator that I look at as I drink some water.

I think we truly forget to not only have memories…but document memories.

I’m a little obsessed with a show called, “Who do you think you are?” that takes a one person and digs back into their history.  What amazes me with the show is how they have documented centuries in history of one bloodline…it’s all written in ink on parchment for future generations to find….

I wonder what our future generations will have to go on with us as they dig in the past? Snapchat will have eaten a large portion of our history … and there is huge chance that corrupt technology will screw up the true details as well…

So, what will your family have to go on?

I know my kids are screwed, because even though I print a good portion of my images, I have no dates attached, so all they will end up with is a best guess from a mother who doesn’t even really know whether they like fries or fruit with their meals.

So, this is my attempt to implore upon you great and small, do first of all, NOT wish away time. And second of all, do your best to document, IN DETAIL, the moments and images so your future generations will have something concrete to go on.

And please…share this with those you love.  Our moments here on earth are temporary….your documentation will be appreciated more than you know….