Imagine standing on a sandy beach, but only seeing glimpses of the ocean. Walking through the forest and missing all the birds and critters as they pass by. Taking a cross-country trip and not remembering how you got there.
This doesn’t happen because of failing sight. In fact, our vision is perfectly fine. It’s what’s in our hands that causes this. It’s that thing that we watch, hold onto and stare at it. Our mobile device.
Instead of enjoying the moment, we are updating our status on social media sites or checking others’, uploading pictures or chatting with friends.
I’ve been guilty of this. I’ve been out with others and hear “Oh! Look at that,” only to look up too late to see it. Or in the midst of taking pictures, I miss the real beauty of the moment.
Last year, my mother and I took a long road trip across the country. It was truly the trip of a lifetime. For memory’s sake, I took a lot of pictures; nearly a thousand of them. They were pictures that I could hold onto and share with others for years to come. Perfect!
But after returning home and looking through them, I realized something. While taking all of those pictures, I missed a major part of the trip – the trip itself. Yes, we made a lot of memories and we have some very interesting stories to tell, but much of the trip is contained solely within those pictures.
Instead of taking in all of the stunning scenery with my eyes, I viewed most of it through the small screen on my phone. There is a difference. Many memories of the trip are not mine. They are my camera’s.
My phone went on vacation, while I just stood behind it.
Pictures are wonderful and they should be taken for memory’s sake, but in moderation. Why take ten pictures of one place, when you can take one or two and then enjoy the moment?
Digital memories are great, but we need to make real ones too.
If we’re not going to be present, then what’s the point in going anywhere or spending time with anyone? The people we are with want to see us, not our forehead. Likewise, we should want to see them.
Forget status updates, tracking game scores and taking loads of pictures. Instead, enjoy the now. After all, right now only happens once.
“What beautiful place will you go to next, to look at your phone?” ~ unknown
Me - Who am I? 
Hear! Hear!! It is all a matter of perspective isn’t it?? I am not on Facebook, or Instagram or Pinterest. I have a twitter account so my blog can post to it, but I don’t tweet much other than that and I don’t read others tweets unless it is directed to me. I take very few pictures, although there are A LOT on my phone…. most of them came from someone else that I saved.
If you aren’t careful you will miss so much of the beauty around you if you are constantly looking at your screen. Great post!! 🙂
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I’m the same when it comes to social media. Rarely am I on it and even more rarely do I post anything. Picture taking is the biggest problem that I need to overcome. As much as I justify it, who really needs twenty pictures of the same sunset? 🙂 You are right that we can miss so much. Our screen will still be there, but the moment we missed while looking at it, won’t be.
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You tell somebody took too many pictures on vacation when they show you six slightly different angles of the same object.
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Yep, that’s me! Haha! I’m really trying to stop doing that though.
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I see this happening all the time but I’m guilty of the reverse. I’m forever somewhere wonderful, or enjoying a moment only to discover my phone is in the car or out of battery.
Something between the two would be perfect.
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That is a wonderful thing! Much better than being on it all the time. I agree though, there should be some type of middle ground.
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Oh, this is so apt for today’s world! Very good post! Now if only people would take it in and learn!
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Agreed! It’s terrible these days. People at restaurants don’t even socialize anymore. People on vacation are so embedded in their phones that they don’t even realize they’re on vacation. Sad times we live in.
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So true! thanks for the reminder. I loved this post! Thank you!
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You’re welcome. We all need a reminder every now and then. Thank you!
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I have had the same experience and often make a very conscious effort to enjoy the surroundings rather than try to capture and document. It is important to take it all in through the eyes, not the lens!
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Yes, exactly! The eyes see the bigger picture, aspects that our lens never will. I’ve tried to keep this in mind too, ever since last year. We miss so much by trying to capture everything.
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Couldn’t have said it better….terrific post.
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Thank you, George. Glad you enjoyed it.
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A much needed experience in today’s world where no one looks up!!
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It’s scary, isn’t it? Walking down the street, sitting with their friends and even driving!
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Could not agree more. It agitates me when my husband is sitting on his phone while our daughters hit various milestones. It irks me even more when I excitedly request his observance and he takes until the moment is gone to look up, which could last up to three minutes.
I was impressed when my baby brother, who is 19, said he and his friends make everyone at the table place their phones in the center. They set a condition that the first person to grab their phone has to take care of the tip. Being teenagers on a tight budget, this is great encouragement, and he says works remarkably well. Everyone is present at their gatherings. 🙂
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It is frustrating – you are absolutely right. It is so disappointing to see how people no longer socialize or are present with those around them. It’s like everyone is in their own worlds.
I’m impressed by your brother too! I wish more teens (and people in general) were like him. That is awesome and I think that should be a rule always when we’re with others. Good for him. Hopefully those who spend time with him appreciate it an will learn from it as well.
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Guilty….
But as of very recently I am purposefully paying more attention to up, and out. It’s a much better view!
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Good for you! That’s great to hear. And yes, the view is much better!
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I usually lug around my camera but I realized a while back that I was missing part of the action. I try to balance taking pictures with enjoying the moment. It’s hard but doable.
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It’s good that you realized that. It took me way too long, but glad I finally did. It is hard though – you’re right about that!
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