When I was little, in high school, college and BEFORE everyone had a camera or video on their phone, I was the one to say, “Let’s get a picture. We have to document the moment!” (It was a Mitchell-family thing.) A lot of friends or co-workers used to say, “ah, OKAY” somewhat reluctantly, then later, wanted to see the pictures. (This passion had a little something to do with my profession!)
These days, many are doing it. And that’s great. If you’re not, amid the holiday festivities and New Year’s plans, I urge you to take the time to DOCUMENT THE MOMENT. Do interviews of your parents or siblings. Record thoughts about the day, the year, the experiences that impacted your year. Technology makes it easy. And you’ll never regret having it.
The challenge with all the gizmos and gadgets “these days” is that sometimes the quick videos and pictures are used with fun spontaneously, but often are too hard to look at later on, or get lost in the digital shuffle. Organizing them is up to you but here are a few suggestions to ensure the thought you put into capturing words and experiences now, will pay off with memorable dividends down the road.
- Hold the camera steady.
- Get a good microphone for you or your subject, or speak loudly and clearly into the camera/device.
- Ask questions that encourage thoughtful answers such as “describe your favorite Christmas. Who was the most influential person in your life and why? What would you like to tell your friends/family about how you feel about them?” These questions require answers with more depth than just “yes and no.”
- Speak from your heart, or encourage your subject to speak from their heart. Remember, these are moments you will have in your archives. Moments in time that you can watch again, or at least know you could watch again or share with others down the road.
You can also WRITE about your life… as part of the wonderful world of blogging or just for yourself and family. If any of these moments happen to be related to the Good Sports Story or Perpetuating the Positive, please go to the right of the website and type it up and send it. I’d love to hear it.
Document the moment. Make the effort. Make it count.
Jane.