I've never placed too much importance on photos. I've never been that photogenic. I often dreaded photo days at school every year because I wore really geeky glasses, or had a pimple, or had some other physical defect. Photos are also when I realize how awkward I look sometimes, or how crooked my smile is, Imagine my horror when I realized online dating was all about the photos of oneself, and those would be the ones prospective dates would scroll through and base 90% of their judgment of a prospective date on.
When I was in high school and college, I didn't take that many pictures of myself in daily life, so I lost a large section of that time, I can only recall them through memories. Luckily with the onset of smartphones and high definition cameras attached to those smartphones (unluckily for Kodak and most other camera companies) it got much easier to commemorate my life, and at the same time I developed an appreciation for documenting one's life through pictures, looking back at them from time to time during a dull time at work or stuck without internet connection. It's not that impressive seeing a photo from a few days ago cuz it JUST HAPPENED, I still remember most of the details, but it's a huge memory boost looking back at a picture more than a few years old, looking at how I looked back then, which dodgeball teams I was on, what co-workers I worked with, etc. Especially since I'm forgetful about stuff that happens as trivial details wash away quickly after a long night's sleep, it's a great reminder of good times/ how I felt during those times.
Which is why I've made it a habit nowadays to give out commemorative souvenir photos to my colleagues after each work project, it's really the only time that specific group of people work on one specific project; after it's done it's over, unlike family photos. It's really a good tradition because for that year or other defined period of working together I spend more time with those people than anyone else (except maybe MJ nowadays), not even my parents, or my closest friends. Japanese call this concept 一期一会, one time, one meeting, or treasuring the time you have with people. I can't think of any other way.
MJ and I LOVED looking at our wedding photos. The wedding goes so fast, it's hard to process what happened before it's over and guests have gone home. But the photos allow us to live the day over and over again in our minds. In high definition! And everyone is smiling most of the time! some of the best photos n my life. A lot of the times I notice in dodgeball the video of the games tell so much of what happened that I didn't see live, and same is true of our wedding. So many details I missed at the time because I was so absorbed in all the events going on and what happens next, the photos are like a time machine to go back to soak it in, enjoy it all. Like the time after vacations, when I'm at my desk at the office with some break time, I can live those vacations over and over again in my mind without being there.
I fully cherish pictures now. They're like time machines!
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
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