Nothing lasts forever, everything has an instant beauty about it and a moment can simply be translated to a mental snapshot we take in our minds. We smile, we laugh, we cry and we even feel happy or sad. The only constant is change and time. No matter how spectacular or putrid a moment can make you feel, the lingering effects are just that... lingering. They ultimately lose their potency and the scent or stench you once either longed to hold on to or desperately wanted to let go of just fade away with time.
I was on a boat this summer, trying very hard to take some beautiful pictures of the emblematic sunset in Istanbul, capture the beauty of the Bosphorus Bridge and revel in the drug which the city was offering me whilst I stood there on the deck, absorbing the humid heat which was complemented by a light sea breeze. There were four of us that professionally stood there in military fashion, trying to capture the perfect light, the perfect angle, the perfect frame and pretty much allowed the camera to overrule the hour plus that we had in order to obtain these pictures.
I admit there were moments when I was distracted by the other tourists who were either partaking in a conversation, the boat staff who attempted to offer us a drink or snack and even other boats that sailed by. I was enjoying my moment on the deck, but what I didn't focus on was the complete essence of the moment. I was preoccupied with taking the perfect picture and at the back of my mind I was concerned about sharing the perfect album with my family and friends. I usually just use my smartphone to take pictures, but this felt special and I did want to use my professional SLR in order to avail fully of the benefits such a camera offers for great captures. My intentions were solid, but I forgot the most important reason I was there.
The sun was setting and I didn't even see the colour changes carefully enough to take a mental snapshot of this moment. Instead I attempted to capture this live moment on camera. I know it's as important, but honestly after I returned from my trip and looked at the many pictures, I was not half as impressed as I thought I would be. I am not great at taking pictures so I was not entirely able to mirror the perfect sunset on camera. We are always able to add filters to pictures, but in real life we are also adding filters to so many things aren't we?
Standing there with my camera made me think of a few things. The camera is equipped with many functions which can allow your pictures to look as perfect as possible. A zoom, a flash, filter effects and endless other features which enable us to emulate perfection. Similarly we as human beings can also be skillful at many things, these help us to perform better than others in our job and sometimes gives us added advantage too. Nevertheless, in this rat race where we are struggling to be the best at what we do, we tend to forget that the journey towards perfection is often where the magic lies.
I stood there taking pictures and there was one particular moment which was unrelated to the camera or the scenery, which I returned home with. I watched how my husband helped his mother climb on the deck and didn't allow her to fall and lose balance, thereafter I watch how they laughed and giggled between themselves, oblivious to who and what surrounded them. I absorbed this moment and took a picture of it. It required no filter, no flash and no added value. The value was right there in front of me and the scenery was merely decorative, to make the picture look a little more resplendent than perhaps a living room setting. What I had done was sponge up the moment of them together, allowed a palpitation to be evoked and then taken a picture of this moment. The entire process occurred in a twinkle, but what was important was the order of steps. I didn't take the picture and then enjoy the moment, this would be contradictory to my motives of taking the picture in the first place.
In life we have a tendency to frame what we consider perfection and then forget entirely about the rare hair raising moments which nature, our relationships, a good conversation or just a close watch can offer us.
I recently had a Skype conversation with a good friend and whilst we were talking she attempted to take a quick screen shot of me through her iPad. She said she failed as the connection froze at that precise moment. However, explained to me in few words the aww inspiring moment she had encountered during our conversation, and wanted to keep that moment on camera. I understood her reasoning completely, because I too had felt that on the boat, observing my husband and his mother.
This summer has offered me a myriad of emotional explosions on all levels, many of them positive and a few negatives too. However, two months later what I have concluded is that these tiny concussions or sparkles have been so brief that we move on to look for more adventures. The important thing is to drink in and inhale these brief moments that unlock our deepest pores.
I did this on a few occasions, quite deliberately. Today when I have to create a mental photomontage of my summer, I effortlessly remember those split second moments which I have taken a temporarily permanent place in my mind.
Truly nothing is forever, so happiness and sorrow all have an expiry date. The key is to make the most of what is in front of you and if you can, try to see the absolute positive side to any encounter. If your time is cut short with a friend, at least you had that time with them. If your parents are suffering an illness, at least you have them around and can spend your time with them, if your kids speak rudely to you, at least they have the confidence to approach you and not avoid you altogether.
Don't you feel that when you go to the movies, you often get absorbed in it and can imagine yourself being one of the main characters. It only lasts for a few hours at the most and the after effects linger for a while, until life continues and you get busy elsewhere. If you can pay money at the theatre to get that experience, why not try to achieve that in your real life and be the real hero of your own movie? Sometimes one only needs to stand where they are, to feel blessed - Mary Oliver.
Thank you for reading and please share my article if you feel it can help others.
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