So I just got a new phone, which only adds to the grandiosity that is my problem. I’m obsessed with this generational glitch of forgetting to live in the moment. As I walked down the street last night, I was struck by surprise at the soft yellow lights that swirled around the dried-up trees along the streets of Ann Arbor. Instead of stopping, staring, and appreciating the beauty of these decorations, my first reaction was to dig my phone out of my coat pocket, turn on my camera so I can get a good angle, snap a shot (adding a stark, yet airy filter), just so I could put it on Instagram with a simple smiley faced caption. Don’t you see something wrong with this picture…of a picture?
For me it is primarily my camera phone that is the problem, but there are so many ways to neglect the special moments that really deserve a mental snapshot. We can be glued to our laptops or phones, instead of listening to the words of a powerful speaker in class, or it could be choosing to blast our music as we walk down the street, opposed to embracing the beauty of the city we live in. I’m not sure if it’s the fact that I was just mesmerized by the MUSKET’s performance of RENT, but there is something about living for today that sounds really nice.
I know that we are in a generation where technology and communication is everything, and trust me my phone will remain glued to my side for as long as possible, but I encourage you to take in the potentially inspiring moments of every day. Whether it be going to a musical theater performance or visiting a new restaurant, sniff in the air of the room first, take off your coat, laugh a little, enjoy yourself, then before you leave, take a quick photo or two!
