“You have the memory, but you’ve lost the moment.”  This is how a father of one of the students at my children’s elementary school replied, when I asked him if he would videotape the Talent Show.  I remember thinking that he was saying something important, but I had to find someone to videotape the Talent Show and further thoughts about it would have to wait.  Time went by, and eventually, I thought about his statement and its profundity.  

I had discovered this through my own experience. I stopped taking pictures continuously at family events because I never had any time to be a part of things.  I was the observer and not a participant.  I take less pictures now and enjoy more moments.  But I still take some pictures, just to “preserve” those moments for later.

Today, I see endless amounts of ridiculous videos that are made on cell phones, posted on the internet, not to mention “selfies,”  and pictures of friends doing silly things together, making faces, etc. etc. etc.  This makes me wonder about these “memories.”  How many photos does one need to create a memory?  Are any of these even memorable?  But are they “moments” of time spent with your best friends?  Maybe so.

And there are those times when a photo can put you back into a moment because of the intensity of the memory.  Both memories and moments are important.  Being a participant is important.  These are the things that can draw us together in spirit, even when one is separated from those that matter to us the most.  The memories drawn from a picture ARE moments especially as we grow older and we are the ones who survive.

So, I guess memories and moments are perhaps, even needed.  But the truth of that father’s statement is still profound.  Sacrificing moments for “memories” in video or pictures is not a good idea if you want to be a part of the action in the movie of your life.