A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words
Start writing a post
Relationships

A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words

1
A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words

Growing up, everywhere we went, no matter the occasion, my mom carried her camera, ready to take our picture and capture the moment into an image. As kids, and even sometimes today, my family and I are quick to complain and make faces when my mother yells, “Hold on!” and reaches for her camera bag. However, no matter how much we hate stopping and posing in that moment, my family and I now recognize the importance of pictures in the preservation of our memories.

Pictures are not just meaningless images on a piece of paper, or preserved on social media, to me they are often physical representations of what is important to me. In my family, pictures play a large role in bringing us together to reminisce about happy times and laugh at one another. Many points throughout the year, I like to scroll through my mom’s photos and laugh at all the funny poses she captures of us. It helps us bond as a family, and reminds us of the feelings and emotions of the day preserved in film. To a stranger, the pictures of my family’s vacation would be meaningless, but to me they are a reminder of the individual instances we experienced together, the things we said, did, and experienced that day all come rushing back just by looking at these images. I value these reminders more than anything else.

More than that, the older pictures that my Nana has allows me to learn about my family and my personal history. Through my Nana’s photo albums, and the explanation she gives with each picture, I have been able to learn all about her sisters, who all had died well before I was born, and about my mother’s childhood. This gave me a rare glimpse into a life well before my own, and gave me a closer connection to my family. I hope one day someone in my family will have the same experiences looking at pictures from my family albums.

While I do love photos and their ability to preserve, I also hate our generations’ obsessive need to document every moment and experience on social media. While it is amazing to be able to share pictures, and by proxy experiences, a consequence of that is we become so focused on documenting the moment that we let it slip by without truly experiencing it. Pausing for pictures is one thing, but centering your life, your experience on saving every moment will prevent you from enjoying it. A problem for our generation is that because we have all these wonderful powers of preservation and expression, we become afraid of forgetting, afraid of having no proof or way to remember what we have experienced. Consumed by that fear, we have taken to counteracting that fear by doing whatever we can to preserve every moment.

Now, as I have said before, I love pictures and I will never stop taking them. They are an important way for me to relive memories. However, I refuse to let my life be dictated by pictures. While they can be important pieces of our history, they are only glimpses, not the real thing. In order to be able to live my life happily, I have to have faith that I will remember the important moments of my life, even without a reminder.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

43508
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

27353
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

952263
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

146164
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments