Last week, my family and I found a leak in our basement. The constant drips were captured in a seemingly empty, perfectly placed storage container. Thanks to the miraculous container being placed so conveniently, we were able to avoid flooding (and nasty water damage). Upon further inspection of the container, we noticed that it was not at all empty but instead filled with almost all of our favourite photographs from the past 25 years. My parents’ dating photos: swamped. The cassettes from when I was born sunk. Random childhood photos: mould-infested. There was no salvaging any of those photos.Â
All of these memories–reduced to a foul-smelling heap of mush. As we tossed all of them into a nondescript garbage bag, our hearts broke a little. We dragged the bag outside and left it on the side of the street with the other trash for pickup. It was as if that bag did not contain decades of beautiful memories. Despite the unfortunate circumstances (and my horribly dramatic recollection of the experience), it was reflective and thought-provoking.
The greatest wisdom that I gained from the unfortunate experience is that we only truly have the present moment. Without photographs to capture moments, memories are all that we have, and even then, our memories will fail us. Our minds cannot possibly remember the infinite amount of past experiences in our lifetimes. Even if one could somehow remember everything, there’s no way to perfectly replicate those experiences in the mind’s eye. There will always be something missing.
In the era of blue screens and chronic neck pain, do your best to live in the moment and look up for once! Take photos, but also revel in the moment. Take everything to the best of your abilities–commit it all to memory as best as possible. Take in the smells and the feelings that come up from being exactly where you are. Take in the sounds and the sights. Photograph the moment and then experience it.