During my last trip to Europe I spent a lot of time behind the camera. In 15 days I took over a thousand pictures and captured them on a miniature memory card. I asked myself during the trip and after, if I missed out on seeing something with my own eyes. I asked myself did I really need to take 30 pictures of the random German platz.
After much thought and looking at my pictures over and over I have came to the conclusion that I may have missed out on some experiences, but what I gained was invaluable. When I review my pictures I realize my mind is fragile and fallible. My memories of this recent trip are not crisp or clean rather they resemble a vague swirl of memory. The pictures captured on the external memory chip helps me iron out the swirl. It is, as if, the chip supplements my failing memory. The pictures help me remember what I was wearing and why. The pictures help me remember that detail that would have other wise been lost in the swirliness.
On this recent European excursion. I went on a tour. It was fast paced two days in each city at the most. I was exhausted. The pictures helped me slow down life. When I took a picture with my camera I also took one with my memory. My picture informs my memory and my memory informs the picture.
When I was in Vienna, on our last night, I was running to catch up with the tour group. But, as I was running I saw a Viennese grandma walking her dog. Both her and her the dog where picturesque in a way that only grandmas in foreign countries can be. So I stopped and caught her eyes. I then pointed to her and to my camera. She nodded, posed, and I took my picture. I said danke schön as I was trying to be a hospitable guest. I was expecting her to say Bitte schön! instead she said you’re welcome. I took a double take. She too was being hospitable. We both acknowledged this with a glance and went our separate ways.
I now look at that picture and smile. Without my trigger happy spirit I would not have that memory nor would I have been able to remember how she confidently and willingly posed.
God willing I will always travel and I will always have a camera with me. I believe when one travels there is a time and place to put away the camera. But for me that probably won’t be the norm. As I get older my memory will be more dull but my camera will only impriove. I’m not advocating that the external memory chip is better than the memory I capture with my eyes but what I am saying is that they help each other and I need all the help I can get.
After much thought and looking at my pictures over and over I have came to the conclusion that I may have missed out on some experiences, but what I gained was invaluable. When I review my pictures I realize my mind is fragile and fallible. My memories of this recent trip are not crisp or clean rather they resemble a vague swirl of memory. The pictures captured on the external memory chip helps me iron out the swirl. It is, as if, the chip supplements my failing memory. The pictures help me remember what I was wearing and why. The pictures help me remember that detail that would have other wise been lost in the swirliness.
On this recent European excursion. I went on a tour. It was fast paced two days in each city at the most. I was exhausted. The pictures helped me slow down life. When I took a picture with my camera I also took one with my memory. My picture informs my memory and my memory informs the picture.
When I was in Vienna, on our last night, I was running to catch up with the tour group. But, as I was running I saw a Viennese grandma walking her dog. Both her and her the dog where picturesque in a way that only grandmas in foreign countries can be. So I stopped and caught her eyes. I then pointed to her and to my camera. She nodded, posed, and I took my picture. I said danke schön as I was trying to be a hospitable guest. I was expecting her to say Bitte schön! instead she said you’re welcome. I took a double take. She too was being hospitable. We both acknowledged this with a glance and went our separate ways.
I now look at that picture and smile. Without my trigger happy spirit I would not have that memory nor would I have been able to remember how she confidently and willingly posed.
God willing I will always travel and I will always have a camera with me. I believe when one travels there is a time and place to put away the camera. But for me that probably won’t be the norm. As I get older my memory will be more dull but my camera will only impriove. I’m not advocating that the external memory chip is better than the memory I capture with my eyes but what I am saying is that they help each other and I need all the help I can get.
1 comment:
You have a gift for expressing yourself Anna. Thanks for sharing it with us!
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