I’m lucky to say that I’m a part of the last generation to grow up without a lot of technology and witness the rapid change in the world we live in today. I’m not sure there will ever be a change that dramatic again in such a short time frame. I think there’s a benefit to it because not only do I appreciate it but I know what it’s like to be without it and I actually had a childhood playing OUTSIDE with other kids (gasp) because frankly there was no other option. I didn’t grow up with #selfies and FB likes and social media fakeness that makes us forget what it’s like to have real friends and genuine relationships with people. When I was a kid you were popular if you knew alot of people and vice versa, not if alot of people you don’t know follow you on Twitter or Instagram.
With no cell phones I remember pagers were the coolest thing, I had no idea what any of the codes meant but I was too young to have one anyway. Not until I was about 10 did we have a computer in the house because that wasn’t normal, and even then it was a big deal. I remember dial up internet and AOL chat rooms…and AOL for that matter haha. I remember using cassettes and vhs and when CD’s and DVD’s were introduced into the picture. I remember cameras with film and better yet disposable cameras!
What sparked this rant of mine is that I remember the days when we took photos to capture memories of places we had been to, people we love, and monumental events in our lives. You filled up a whole roll of film and couldn’t look at the pictures before they were developed so you had no idea how they were going to turn out. Yet some of my most candid most beautiful pictures are from that time. Nowadays to post one Instagram picture you fill your phone with 30 (at least) of the same pic so you can get it right. It’s like there’s not room for error, for honesty in real life because everyone wants their lives to appear perfect.
So what I miss about the “good ol’ days” was the room for error, the roll of film where you have red eye or your dad’s finger is in the way. The cassete tapes that would unravel sometimes and most importantly, actually enjoying real moments with REAL people without a computer being invovled to edit our every move.
I’m not complaining about these changes because lets face it, I made a career out of it, but I have to constantly remind myself that it’s not important to portray a “perfect” life to a world of people who don’t really know me at all. If life were perfect frankly it would be really boring anyway. xx
Swung by to look at your latest pics and found this. Wanted to acknowledge it because I think it’s a noteworthy read. Thank you.