Why I Refuse to "Put My Camera Down" | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

Why I Refuse to "Put My Camera Down"

If I have ever overwhelmed you with my need to pull out the camera, sorry, but I’m really not sorry at all.

24
Why I Refuse to "Put My Camera Down"
Google Images

If you know me you probably know that being friends with me means expecting a camera shoved in your face at any given time, if you follow me on Snapchat you know that I can’t hang out with someone without there being photographical evidence (and hours of it), and if by chance we’re Facebook friends you may know that if there was any sort of event in my life there will be at least 30 pictures to prove it within 24 hours.

So if I have ever overwhelmed you with my need to pull out the camera, sorry, but I’m really not sorry at all.

So many times have people made [what they think are] subtle comments about my social media use and how ‘obsessed’ I am with pictures, asking things like if I really had fun or if I was just taking photos the entire time, even going as far as to question my ability to experience something without feeling the need to document it. I’ve heard these comments more times than I can count, and yet they almost always seem to leave me disheartened.

It genuinely baffles me to hear someone say, “put down the camera”, because if I put this camera down, the moment is lost. Sure, for a period of time we will remember that car ride when that girl sang the wrong lyric confidently enough that it made you laugh so hard your abs hurt for a week, or the time the Starbucks barista misspelled your name so bad you questioned whether or not they actually tried to misspell it, or even that day you went to the gym with your best friend and ended up just dancing in the empty studio room for an hour and a half to High School Musical songs and then leaving to go eat burgers and fries. But those perfect little memories fade and they’re replaced by the "bigger” ones like packing for college or going to your first date party, and by the time the next big moment rolls around you’ve completely forgotten about that car ride, Starbucks order, and “gym session”. Those little moments are lost, with nothing to rememberh moved on from these easy care-free days. We will have jobs in tall concrete buildings, busy mornings filled with packing lunches and rushing to the bus stop, and the stress of actually needing to know about taxes. Days at a time will begin to blur together and you’ll turn on autopilot and go through the motions of trying to keep everything, including yourself, together.

And then there will be a moment.

A moment where your little girl is belting out her favorite princess songs on the way to the bus stop with all the right sounds but none of the right words and you’ll think back to that girl who made your abs hurt because she sang the lyrics at the top of her lungs too.

A moment where you’ll be sitting in your concrete office building and your boss will call you “Joe” when your name is “John” and you’ll think back to that time when it was just the girl behind the counter at Starbucks who confidently got your name wrong.

A moment where you wake up in the morning dreading the fact that you have to go to the gym to maintain your aging body and you’ll think back to when it wasn’t working out you did at the gym but instead dance to High School Musical songs.

It’ll be the seemingly unimportant moments, the ones where you were just living, not doing anything particularly memorable, but just living, that will come to your mind. And right then, in that moment, you’ll wish so badly that you could remember the face of the girl who got the lyrics wrong, or the way the Starbucks barista misspelled your simple name, or the terrible dance moves you showed off that day at the gym.

The reason I stick a camera in my friends face in the middle of a conversation, or post a 3 hour long snapchat story of getting coffee with a friend, or add 120 photos to Facebook after going out just one night, is not because I want all of you people out there to know everything I do with my life. It is because when the time comes and I am reminded of all those easy care-free days, I will be so beyond grateful that I never put my camera down.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

10 Things To Know About The First Semester Of College

10 things that most incoming college freshmen have no idea about.

463
campus
Pexels

Starting college is pretty scary and fun at the same time. You are free of your parents(in most cases) but this is the first time you have no idea what the heck is going on. Here are 10 things you may want to know going into your first semester.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The Daily Struggles of Being a College Commuter

It's not all morning coffees and singing along to the radio.

1237
The Daily Struggles of Being a College Commuter
morethanwheels

I've been in college for four years now. I spent half my time as a commuter and half as a resident so I've experienced both sides of the housing spectrum. One thing I've learned comparing the two is that my struggles as a commuter far outweigh anything I went through while living on campus. Commuters have to deal with the problems school brings along with a slew of other issues; I've filled up my gas tank in the worst kind of weather conditions and napped in random places in public more times than I'm proud to say of. This is a list of some of the most challenging aspects of being a commuter.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

15 Times Michael Scott's Life Was Worse Than Your Life

Because have you ever had to endure grilling your foot on a George Foreman?

3939
Michael Scott
NBC

Most of the time, the world's (self-proclaimed) greatest boss is just that, the greatest. I mean, come on, he's Michael Freakin' Scott after all! But every once in a while, his life hits a bit of a speed bump. (or he actually hits Meredith...) So if you personally are struggling through a hard time, you know what they say: misery loves company! Here are 15 times Michael Scott's life was worse than your life:

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

17993
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less
piano
Digital Trends

I am very serious about the Christmas season. It's one of my favorite things, and I love it all from gift-giving to baking to the decorations, but I especially love Christmas music. Here are 11 songs you should consider adding to your Christmas playlists.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments