“Wait, don’t eat your food yet I want to take a picture of it!” – me
Did I really just start off an article by quoting something I say every Sunday brunch? Unfortunately yes. If I’m not taking a picture of my food I’m taking a picture of my coffee. I’m obsessed with social media. Actually I’m so obsessed with it that I’ve become to resent it. I take pictures of everything. “Just painted my toes!” Picture. “Reading a book!” Picture. “Writing today on my MacBook!” Picture. Does anyone really, and I mean honestly care what I’m doing every second of the day? Not really. Whatever happened to living in the moment?
I recently had a conversation with a friend who told me that capturing the moment was our generation’s way of living in it. I agree, but I do not like it. We are so consumed with capturing everything that we often forget to enjoy the actual moment. That’s when I came up with a plan.
This week (April 20- April 27) I’m not going to take a single picture. Why you ask? Here’s why.
There’s this quote that Sean Penn gives in the movie, “Walter Mitty” where he’s standing on top of a mountain in the Himalayas, and he sees a snow leopard he’s been trying to find for months. Penn has his camera out and he’s ready to take a picture of the leopard. Penn then pauses. Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller) asks if he’s ever going to take the picture. Sean Penn states, “Sometimes I don’t. If I like a moment, for me, personally, I don’t like to have the distraction of the camera. I just want to stay in it.”
(photo courtsey of waltermitty.com)
That little line has sparked so much thought in me over the past year. Why do I have to try to capture everything? I want to be fully present in the moment and remember it without a picture. That’s where my experiment comes in.
I can already tell it is going to be hard. So, here are a few of the rules I have set out for myself.
RULES FOR AVOIDING CAPTURING THE MOMENT:
1. I will not take any pictures or selfies, even if they are only for me to see.
2. I am allowed to be in other peoples pictures, but I cannot take them myself.
3. Only doing rule #2 because saying no to taking a picture with someone would be awkward.
4. Documenting everyday to show how my progress is going.
5. Doing a follow up blog on my process.
I’m already annoyed at myself for doing this because my dad just gave me a “Saturday Night Live” vinyl that I can’t Instagram. Okay, Sean Penn, I’m ready.