Opinion: If only there were a way to make the good times last a lifetime… Oh, wait! There is.
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As the year winds down like film, these final moments we share with our fellow students will be gone in a flash. Many in our social media age may believe you take photos with plans to share them, but this doesn’t have to be true. Sometimes, photos can just be nice to have for oneself. Snapped snippets of good times with friends, with ourselves, even with nature remind us of the happiness we felt in the moment they were taken.
Can there ever be too many reminders of life’s happy moments?
Whether or not your college experience will be the best years of your life, there is little doubt that you have experienced inexplicable growth and made memories you hope will last a lifetime. After all, there is something about being young that feels empowering. We are the youngest, most energized versions of ourselves we may ever be and full of life. It’s beautiful and worth capturing in any way we can. It’s also a feeling I hope takes on a new life as we age, but judging from the mixed disdain and nostalgia often held by older generations, I am wary.
Negative stereotypes of Millennials and Gen Zers are not uncommon. It’s been said that we are technology and self-obsessed generations whose unhealthy desire to document everything hinders our ability to enjoy life. To this rhetoric, I say enough! Take all the pictures or selfies you want and then take some more.
We are fortunate enough to live in a time where we can document our lives through photos. More often than not, taking a second to capture a moment does not mean we have missed out on the experience in any way. If anything, we’ve gained from it by being able to relive it later. These are memories we are supposed to hold onto for the rest of our lives. We should be allowed pieces of them — and allowed to take these pieces — without feeling judged or like we’re proving generational stereotypes right.
Still, I admit I have been part of the problem. Most times, I’m pretty embarrassed to have my picture taken. I pose awkwardly and usually make faces that fail to conceal my inner dread. Maybe it’s the fear of being judged by others watching or of looking bad. Whatever the reason, at least I know that there are people out there who can relate.
To anyone who is similarly camera-shy, I think the age-old saying “practice makes perfect” rings true here. All students, all people, should prioritize taking pictures and being comfortable enjoying the world around them in their own skin. Whether this means setting a day aside to take a trip somewhere and have a photoshoot with friends or simply taking pictures unprompted in special or un-special moments alike, you can never have too many pictures. (Unless, of course, your storage is running low.)
Phone cameras are always accessible and ready to capture a moment. Some prefer to make their picture taking more of an event or hobby, investing in cameras of their own. It can also be a really fulfilling process waiting for your pictures to be developed from disposable film cameras. On campus, Allen Hall even rents out free, high-quality photography and videography equipment to SOJC students on fairly short-notice. Reservations can be made easily online, and I highly encourage more students to take advantage of this resource while here.
Like a candid picture, happiness is unplanned — your eyes light up, your heart flutters, your mouth smiles. It happens without thought or will. Remembering these moments with gratitude and joy is essential for positivity, for growth and for healing. And what better way to reflect than to physically look upon them?
It’s funny. You often don’t realize how much a picture is even worth until the moment is gone. A picture of my friend Sam has been on my phone’s lock screen for almost three years. In it, Sam stands on a sandy, Seattle beach with a crushed Slurpee cup held up, making a silly face. Our friends were out collecting trash for an environmental class, and the moment was innocent and goofy. I took a few pictures of him and our friends without much thought or care. Sam passed the following fall. We would all be entering our senior years of college now, together. We miss him more than words, more than pictures, can say.
It’s an extremely lucky thing to find people who care for you how you care for them. The kinship we share in life will live on long after we’re gone. Until then, friends are worth celebrating, worth remembering.
The last club meeting, intramural game, study session or roommate trip to Target of the school year is also just around the corner. It’s okay to feel sentimental about this! And it’s okay to celebrate these moments, no matter how small, by taking a picture. As you enter the next phase of your life, make a point to take more pictures, especially when out with the people you love and care about. You will be glad to have the memories to look back on as life goes on.
