Reflections in General

As the old year draws to a close and the holidays slide by, it is easy to think about the things which have happened in our lives. I think this is because in memory we are perhaps most human. Reflection means we can pass judgment on people and things, as well as on ourselves.

Times like these are exactly when we realize what is important to us, and hopefully why whatever that is is meaningful to ourselves. I find that memory brings the strongest emotions forward, and that it is when we live in the moment that memory will serve us best over the years.

For all the pictures and old family movies and now e-mails which I have amassed, it is the things which I do not have a solid record of which mean the most. I have no picture of my oldest son's first T-Ball at bat, my next son's simple groundout which scored a winning run precisely because he hit behind a runner, or my daughter's 7 consecutive foul liners which startled her teammates on the bench every time the ball screamed towards them, yet they mean more to me in remembrance than the few team photos ever will. Even when we have a lot of pictures, as with my wedding, it is what exactly happened on that day which comes to mind more than any quick pic which was taken and stored. I don't need the pictures; I lived the event.

That's why I'm not particularly fond of picture taking or video recording events. It all too often distracts from living the event. And that is what should matter. Be human. Live the day rather than live for the photo op. In the end, the high points of our lives will be much richer.