Thanks for The Memories
I am one of those people who tries to practice gratitude on a daily basis. Regardless of whether you think it’s from the airy-fairy, mumbo jumbo or even hocus pocus train of thought, I really believe that it’s something we should all do. Thinking of a few things every day that you are grateful for demands that you take some time out of your day and stop. Take a moment and reflect. For me, it’s not always a guarantee of a better mood. Still, it does remind me that I have things to be optimistic about, especially this year when I think we can all agree that it's been less than adequate.
One of the things I am most grateful for is photographs as they were a surprising source of comfort throughout lockdown. During my more forlorn moments, of which there have been many this year, I found myself scrolling through my phone to look back at the happier times of my life. I’ve relived adventurous holidays, raucous nights out, luxurious afternoon tea with my mum and many other uplifting moments. As a result of deciding to move back in with my parents for lockdown, I also often found myself waking past framed images of my childhood where I am shamelessly posing for the camera and wishing my younger brother wasn’t taking up the frame too. Those pictures will always make me smile no matter what mood I’m in.
Photographs are made to take us back to a specific moment in time and, for most of us, we predominantly capture the happier ones. During the various lockdowns we have had to endure this year I saw many people posting pre-pandemic images on Instagram wishing they could go back in time and it’s hardly surprising. When the future is uncertain, we are inevitably going to seek comfort in something we know will bring us joy. Those brighter feelings can sometimes seem like they may never return and so reminding ourselves that they do exist can feel like a triumph in itself. For me, 2020 has been all about the small wins!
Unquestionably, nostalgia is ingrained in photographs and I know for some they find it too sappy an emotion, but I love and thoroughly embrace it. Looking back at photographs of my friends and I huddled together, drinks in hand and huge grins on our faces reminds me how lucky I am to have had the experiences I have and with the people I love. Looking at these types of photographs also encourages me to stay hopeful that when this pandemic finally ends, there will be so much more to experience and wholeheartedly cherish. And yes, I will be taking pictures.
Besides the reminiscing that photographs induce, they have also completely changed the way we communicate. Over the past decade, the rise of social media, notably Snapchat, has really brought the phrase ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ to life. Describing how you’re feeling to your friends doesn’t necessarily require a text or phone call anymore. An unflattering, low angle shot of you fake crying or, equally as important, a snapshot of you looking your damned finest will do the trick.
This change in communication is so effective that it’s almost automatic for some in how they share a moment with their nearest and dearest. I’ve lost count of how many I’m-having-another-breakdown type pictures I’ve sent to my friends over the past eight months and each one was responded to with an equally hilarious or despairing picture. This kind of connection was at risk of fading away while we were stuck at home; sharing time and space with people is intrinsic to being human but how do you achieve that same sense of shared experience when you’re apart? Turns out the answer was whipping out my phone and capturing whatever emotional state I was in.
This year also saw one of my closest friends become a mum and as she is the first one in our friendship group to have a baby, it was an even bigger deal. I expected this year to be full of newborn cuddles and lots of trips out to get to know this new little lady, however, that wasn’t the case and so I have watched her grow through photos and videos. If we didn’t have this type of communication readily available, I wouldn’t have received the many cute updates that I am so grateful for.
As 2020 nears its end, I think we can all agree that in years to come we are going to look back and feel astonished at what we have gone through. The way so many of us have pulled together this year and proven to ourselves how strong we are is testament to our innate resilience. And I guarantee you that when we look back, we’ll be scrolling through our phones and remembering how each photo we’ve kept from this time captured a specific feeling that we may or may not wish to experience again. Photographs have always helped to remind me of and feel connected to my own lived experience and anything that can achieve that sense of knowing is definitely worth being grateful for.
Written By Ellie Rees
Who is a Cardiff based writer who currently works in marketing. When there isn't a pandemic on she loves swing dancing, heading to the cinema as much as possible and a gin or two with her friends. Her biggest dream is to see a published book of her's on the shelves of Waterstones Cardiff one day.