Wednesday, July 16, 2008

It's all about the picture...

The other day I was having a conversation with my 14-year-old daughter about an event we had attended several years back. She was absolutely sure (as only a teenager can be) that she had no recollection of the event and therefore could not have been there.

"Sure you were. Don't you remember all of our girl cousins were there too".

My 11-year-old daughter quickly reminded her of the picture we have of her and one of the cousins in front of the event.

"Oh yeah, I remember now. I really was there and..." suddenly all of the little tidbits of details came rushing back to her and she was able to tell us quite a bit more about the event.

Now why do I tell you this?

Pictures document a moment in time. They document feelings that were felt while a certain event was happening -- good or bad, but usually for the good. You can't feel the extreme heat or bitter cold through a picture, nor can you smell the awful cow dung that was on the field next door (another story), but you can remember the feelings you felt when you experienced that moment in time. Pictures capture that and without those pictures, those moments in time are lost forever. Those little toes are replaced by large shoes that carry him to work, those nights spent on the tramp are lost to wanting to "hang out with the guys", and all too soon the moment is lost.

So my soapbox comment to you today is to take pictures wherever you go. Get a small camera and take snapshots -- as those are so important. I also have to put a plug in here for art work on your walls of portraits of you, your family, your children, etc. as all to soon those years are gone.

Stepping down...

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