Take a pic, it'll last longer
I bought my first camera when I was 13.
I was walking around Rite Aid, looking to spend the little money I made packing bags at C-Town.
When I saw it, I couldn’t believe it.
“I could just buy a camera?” I thought to myself.
In my mind, you had to be an adult to have a camera. I mean, I only saw adults with cameras. None of my friends had cameras. They didn’t even talk about them.
But here was this camera. It cost $18, and I had enough money to buy it. It could be mine.
I just needed film, and I could take alllllll the pictures I wanted.
So I did.
I grew up on the 5th floor of a castle in East New York, Brooklyn.
I took pictures of everything. All my friends. Every event. All the occasions.
Years went on. I captured everything.
Technology evolved. I followed along.
My entire life was neatly organized and stored in folders, by year and month, on an external hard drive.
But I’ve noticed lately that I haven’t really been taking any pictures.
Sometimes my cat is looking really stupid on his back, and I’ll take a pic.
And of course I’m gonna pose in front of the thing when I’m at the place so you know I was there.
But overall, I’m no longer eager to document everything.
The desire to possess a moment no longer thrills me. Even taking selfies feels wrong.
Wrong is the wrong word, but it’s the right feeling.