Thursday, September 10, 2009

Stop Recording...Start Living!


Often the wisest words come from the mouths of babes.

Or in my case, the mouth of a very bright 8 year old boy...my son Sacha.

On our recent holiday in France, I was so busy trying to record every moment to share (via Facebook, and email etc) with friends and family back home...that I wasn't fully experiencing the moments as they were happening.

In this particular instance I was trying to capture an adorable picture of Sacha during his circus lessons.

Obsessed with gettting the perfect shot, I wasn't really watching the trick he was trying to show me.

"Stop taking picutres, and look!" he cried.

Instantly I knew he was right. The real value of the moment was in the moment.

Not in the picture or pithy update quote to be posted or tweeted later.

So I put down the camera and I really watched. And it was pretty cool.

And then I took a few quick shots.

And maybe I didn't capture exactly the perfect smile or get the ideal shot.

But when I close my eyes I can see it vividly and I can hear the excitement in his voice when he realized I was really present and paying attention.

Experiences are great to share, but first they should be...well...experienced.

That's my point of view. What's your twist?
Has recording gotten in the way of experiencing for you?

3 comments:

  1. i couldn't agree more! We try too hard to record a perfect moment and 9 times out fo 10 it never reflects the excitment and sentiment of the moment itself!

    We're so distracted with being constantly 'on' that we miss the chance encounters that spark new ideas and conversations.

    Personally i'm trying as hard as i can to keep my phone in my bag when i'm out with others or walking outdoors adn resist the temptation to reply to every post or email instantly.... i feel sad when i see a group of people all sitting together in the park silently texting or browsing the internet!!

    we're in danger of missing out on real life!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well put Melanie. Thanks for commenting.

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  3. Your post reminds me of a scientific principal that is tangentially related. The "observer effect" (see below) suggests that the simple process of observing can change the phenomenon being observed.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observer_effect_(physics)

    Your story shows an aspect of this in our daily life. As you said, sometimes when we try too hard to record things, we "miss the moment". Heisenberg would probably be pleased...

    ReplyDelete

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