I personally don’t believe in New Years Resolutions. I think they’re just a silly way for you to be disappointed in yourself on December 31st. I feel like we should just make daily resolutions and keep it at that.
However, the new year does bring with it a lot of reflecting. Things that could have been or could still be. Things I need to improve upon. Like, for instance, I would like to do more blog posts and start including “life posts” or posts where I just talk about what’s going on in the world of me. I would like to work on more short stories again, the format where I got much of my start and have been very much away from for about a year. These are all just postulates, reflections on could haves/should haves.
One thing does stand out to me: I need to take more pictures. 2015 was a heavy picture year for me. I had my wedding, my honeymoon, took a handful of trips. All along the way someone else was snapping photos left and right. Looking back on the photos of these events gives me joy, fills me with delightful memories and excitement as if I were right back there.
But realistically the amount of photos taken of me or of my memories this past year is a drastic shift for me. I just don’t take many photos. Nor do I have too many friends that do. We’re just not a phototastic group (I am trademarking that word). It’s one of the many reasons I love visiting my parents. My father is a photographer (and a damn good one at that). He actually took the photo that I’ve been using at the top of this very blog. Every time I visit my parents, my father snaps tons of photos. Of me. Of the stuff we do. Of other family members. It’s wonderful having all those memories beautifully recorded.
Photos are the breath to our memories. They bring them to life, make them rich and vivid. Photos segue into humorous anecdotes or warm reminiscence of friendships gone by. They lead us down light paths or rocky mountain trails. They can bring sorrow or anger. Photos are powerful, and keeping a vivid record of our lives is an enriching experience.
I chose the picture above because it’s one of the rare photos I’ve actually taken myself of a moment that was important to me. This was during the first big group Disney World trip my friend group ever had. This was a picture I took on the ride up the Everest roller coaster at Animal Kingdom. The person pictured, Jeremy, is one of my oldest, dearest friends. And he was swearing at me the entire time I was taking this picture. It’s things like that. To some, this is just a silly picture. To me, it brings all these memories, all these discourses and ideas that organize my opinion toward the picture. One picture opens the world into stories, experiences, reflection. It’s powerful.
Thank you to everyone who has helped me record some of these memories. Here’s to hoping I actually get better at this and am not regretting this post come December 31st.
Gonna close with more photos… because why not:
~C
The Everything Kid 