In That Space

One of the defining attributes of the interwebs is immediate gratification. We want to see that photo the nanosecond it is taken, we want to know the gossip, the news, the results all in real time. The immediacy of our newly connected behavior has made the world smaller and more intimate.

But there is a part of me that longs for the space in between. There was an era when a letter was penned and in that time of traveling from the sender to the receiver, a space was held for anticipation. A hunger grew. Words were cherished: read and reread. Photos were few and far between and the memories trapped in silvery molecules were worth the wait.

Recently I photographed some Sunshine Kids and their families as they sailed aboard the Schooner Argia during the Sails Up 4 Cancer Benefit in Mystic, Connecticut. I took hundreds and hundreds of images and then set about editing them and uploading them to a private gallery to be shared among the families, friends and the organizations that made this annual event possible.

I must admit I felt anxious that I couldn't process the images fast enough; and I still need to create a video. I wanted to quickly hand them an instant package that would capture the good day they had. The cyberspace world that I often live and work in chided me for neglecting the ever streaming social media. Who would care to learn of an event that was so last week?

And then I realized that this event is always timely: until cancer is eradicated, the awareness of the time spent sailing, eating pizza and ice cream and carousing with pirates and firemen will never be anything less than newsworthy.

But today, as I was winding up another project, I realized that in this space in between, I had been given a new perspective. The children and families, the crew and volunteers all experienced that special day in unforgettable ways uniquely their own. The images I captured wouldn't change their experiences. They, too,  have had space to anticipate something good. To look forward to the documentation of a day that was special, a break from the routine. A chance to relive and remember.

It is in that space that we reflect, that we process, that we appreciate and that we find a feeling of gratitude for all things, no matter how large or small. It is in that space that we learn to live with ourselves instead of being inundated with information.

It is in that space that we honor the very gift of life and love.

Now, off to post this to Facebook, Linked in, tweet and pin. ;)