With the advent of digital cameras, the world of memory preserving has changed immensely. Time was that we all made judicious use of the expensive and often temperamental film employed to record our important vistas and milestones. Now, we can shoot thousands of shots. Virtually unrestricted by incremental cost, once we invest in the camera, the photos are free. My computer and telephone are filled with scores of images; and, my screensaver takes me on a halcyon journey with the progression of each photo from my collection. Yet in spite of all the advantages, I miss the tactile nature of developed prints. Even while most general retailers can produce the pictures for pennies each, we routinely fail to have them made. Add it to the list of good intentions – we plan to print and share, but are daunted by the effort required to review 100 pictures to find just the right one.
Is it a basic tenant of human nature to collect – even hoard – all manner and sort of object or experience, and yet never commit the time to fully enjoy them? Perhaps it is simply the urge to accumulate that stimulates us. Whatever the root our desire to build a personal stash of our favorite things can, in itself, become an addiction. But even if we manage to control the urge to overstuff our homes and our lives, we still have to find time to enjoy those things we have collected. As a boy, I was amazed by people who had all the toys and times I thought I needed in my life. Yet, they would let them sit unused and unenjoyed. Like many things with the passage of time, I have come to realize it is more complicated than once thought.