April 12, 2010 - Speeding through life

Let's switch this up, I'll put the picture at the bottom of this post.

You blink once, and you're 10, You blink again and your 16 getting your driver's license. You blink once more and you're now 22 or 23, getting your diploma. You blink just once more and you're married with 2 kids and in your mid-thirties.

I was just wondering and thinking about just how little time we spend savouring the moment. (This, of course is completely different than living for the moment) As kids we always sort of expect that we'll get something from our parents on our birthday, from something as small as a cactus plant, to as big as a car. But as kids we expect these to happen yearly and we never seem to slow down and just think about why people actually celebrate their birthdays, it just happens.

So, along with living for the moment, I feel like people are missing out on life because of this. Why can't High School take 5 or 6 years? Why can't you take a year off after it before entering University? It's true that the older you are the less respect you get from other people, but who really cares? If you enjoy the moment you're living in, what else really matters?

I believe we live in a world where we're speeding too fast. People grow up too fast. People are being educated at too fast of a pace for them to enjoy learning. People are being forced to always be on time at work and should sacrifice whatever senses they have to do so. People are inventing technology to separate the fine line between complete indulgence and (as sexual as it is) quickies.

But that's why we have photographers right? To help people visit the mountains that we never visit and allow us to sit back from the hectic life we lead and just stare at its beauty. To take pictures of everyday life and to allow the busy city worker to realize just what they pass along the street, but never have the time to take a ponder. To take pictures of objects and people we often neglect because of our busy lives. To take pictures of unforgettable moments such as your child's first birthday, the moment you put that ring on your wife, or your parent's holding you as a baby. Ultimately so that when you do have a chance to sit down and finally realize that you didn't get a chance to enjoy valuable moments of your life, you can take a glimpse of them through photos.

This photo resembles just how I view the world sometimes. It's just too fast for me, forcing me to sometimes wish I could go back in time, before urbanization happened. Before cars, planes, or the internet happened. Of course i can't overlook the good these assets have given everyone (including myself), but for me, it's hard not to wonder just how simple and less stressed our lives would be without them.

-Canon Ma