We all encounter times in our lives where we wish we could just hit the pause button and soak up the moment we are in. We don't want the experience to end, so we ponder the notion of stopping time and living in the moment forever. Unfortunately, we don't possess the capability, so our next best response is to get our phones out and take snapshots and videos to remind us of that specific moment in time. Then, years later, we have a pop up on social media telling us that we have memories to review and we get to relive those moments all over again through the wonder of technology. While it is not the same thing, it is the closest thing we have to a time machine that can take us back to that exact moment that we wanted to hold on to so desperately. But what if there was a better way? What if we could really be in the moment and have a visceral experience that a photo or video could not provide? The answer lies in taking a moment.
Too often are we so caught up in the moment that our first inclination is to get out a phone to document that it actually happened. We are so ensnared in the notion of catching the moment that we forget to take a moment. There is a huge difference between the two and knowing that difference is the essence of the human condition. When you catch a moment, your focus is on preserving the moment so you can go back at a later time and relive it. When you take a moment, your focus is being present and taking in all the feelings and emotions of your surroundings.
Don't get me wrong, I love taking photos with my phone and capturing stills that remind me of events in the past that I want to remember later on. I have countless photos of my kids when they were younger and when I see them, I am immediately transported back to a time when they were little and the memories come flooding back to all the great times we had while they were growing up. The photos are missing something though. I think about the time and energy I spent on trying to capture the moment rather than taking a moment to just live in the experience. I know I won't get that time back, but these photos are definitely a reminder for me to take a moment to really experience what I am going through and soak up everything a photo can't show.
Indeed, I'm certainly a proponent of documenting our epics to provide texture to our stories, but I am advocating for taking a moment to stop, close your eyes, slow your breathing, and really soaking up the surroundings before taking the camera out. By doing so, the richness of the moment will be so much more fulfilling when you reminisce about it years later. The photo will impact your senses in a way that you haven't experienced them before and you will be grateful for it. All you need to do is take a moment.
#FORWARD #FORGE
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