My daughter moved out in July. It seems so recently, but right now it’s already been two months. I like going to Facebook and seeing the pictures she posts about her new house, dog, boyfriend, learning to cook, and so on. It’s the pictures that capture my attention. I’m so glad she does it–it makes me feel connected with her while I’m learning to live in an emptier house.
It emphasizes to me the importance of photographs and the delight I have in the simplicity of sharing those photos. All it takes is a camera phone for instant graphic updates! A digital camera is good, too, and if we used the professional big camera, the pictures wouldn’t be any more important. It’s because she takes the time to snap the photo and then upload it that makes me glad she’s got an Iphone and some addiction to it. I would be lost without her little photos peppering her Facebook page. I’d miss her even more than I do–and she still lives in the same town!
The decade's best invention: Camera Phone
Photos are more important than you might think. They create the intertwining threads that bind our memories to the present day. Some of the past treasures I remember ONLY because there were pictures taken. Otherwise, those moments would join the non-descript millions of others that are lost to us. Of course you don’t need to–nor want to remember every moment of every day. But once in a while, it’s nice to see that pictoral diary, that snapshot of life caught up in cyberspace and preserved for this tired old brain to focus on, to enjoy, to be a part of.
Letter writing is a dying art; sending post cards and notes doesn’t happen very often any more. But thank goodness for online communications that make it so easy to stay in touch. And thank goodness for a daughter who likes and understands the technology that allows me to be connected to her, just a little, in very endearing ways. I keep telling my mother that she needs to be online. If she wants pictures of the grandkids, check out my Facebook and follow me on Twitter. And bless her heart, she does.
