Dubai: Last month, a school friend settled in Nebraska of the US was visiting Dubai for a wedding. She stayed back an extra day to spend time with me. We were meeting after many years. A well-turned-out mum of three, she looked the same dusky, dainty girl that she used to be. Her skin still glowed and her hair was just as long and flowing. Even her dress sense hadn’t changed - she still preferred those loose outfits in solid colours.
With much catching up to do, we put our feet up and chatted into the wee hours. We did a bit of going-out too. And how can I forget, we even bumped into a Bollywood actress who was with a companion at a pizzeria. We exchanged pleasantries and the beauty in black leather volunteered to tell us she was hanging out with friends. For some reason, the encounter left us in girly giggles that continued well after.
My apologies I do not have any pictures or video clips to share. I am relying on my own memory to recount the good times. It was only later when my friend and I had parted that we realised we didn’t have a single photo to show for our wonderful reunion. A small price perhaps for losing ourselves to our moments together.
Days later, on New Year’s Eve, as I stood in the balcony of a 43rd floor apartment to view the Burj Khalifa fireworks across the boulevard, I couldn’t help notice fellow revellers in the vicinity. Of course, they too were viewing the fireworks from their vantage points. But a good many had their eyes fixed on their smart phones in front of them. They were recording the spectacular show at the world’s tallest tower on their devices, watching it through their camera screens.
Each to his own. But could it just be that they were forfeiting the real thing for a virtual play – or replay?
Sign of the times
Well, it’s probably a sign of the times. With our smart phones becoming an extension of our bodies, we have been quick to make them do what we were once doing ourselves – from the seeing and listening to the storing and recalling. It’s as if we have offloaded these responsibilities to our devices. But what we are forgetting is that they cannot possibly feel for us.
So every time we descend into a flurry to get that picture or video right, the distraction could shoot the very premise behind our action, which is not to lose the moment. Our worst fears could come true then and there because we could miss the actual experience.
Think about it. Times – and all else – permitting, we pay through our nose for a holiday, fly premium, stay in the best of hotel properties and visit the most exotic locales. But never mind the experience that all of this affords, we remain behind our cameras most of the time.
It’s the same story with events, whether we are at a live concert, watching our kids perform on stage, dining out or attending a wedding. Some of us even have that irresistible urge to share the visuals we so relentlessly take on social media to let the world know. It’s almost as if the posts are an essential validation of our experience.
I am not talking of those who take selfies here – they give themselves enough and more attention to warrant yours or mine. In any case, they rarely reflect who they really are, only who they want be seen as.
Studies show some people enjoy themselves more when they take photos or videos than when they are not, but that’s another matter.
The question is whether we are able to enjoy an experience to its fullest potential from behind the camera?
Don’t get me wrong. I am not against the visual documentation of an experience. Far from it. It’s just that we have unlearnt to live in the moment. That’s what we need to reclaim.
When we get a chance, let’s smell those flowers, feel the sea breeze on our face, listen to the sound of the waves. Let’s savour the pride of our children on stage, relish the food on our fine-diner plate and genuinely engage with family and friends. Let’s first soak in the moment. Then, by all means, we can go click, click, click. Post, post, post too, if we wish. Else, we run the risk of losing the moment, not just at the time but possibly, forever too. Why leave it to its own devices?
