We Should All Have Instagram Kind of Eyes
A couple of days ago I went to a friend’s workplace and I was magnetically attracted to the balcony. There was something about the view that was just peaceful and soothing to the soul. Someone offered me a cup of tea that I (obviously!) accepted.
I found myself with my fingers wrapped around that cup of tea, in silence, starring at the changing colors of the sunset. For some reason I had left my phone in the car, and my friend asked me:
“It’s gorgeous, isn’t it? Aren’t you taking a picture?”
I didn’t have my phone, but I didn’t really want to take a photo. I wanted to keep my eyes wide open. I wanted to soak that moment. I wanted my mind to capture that instant, so that when I looked back I would have that memory. Not just a picture that would get lost in my feed.
That’s why we should all have Instagram kind of eyes.
Got Instagram?
Well, at first I thought that having YET ANOTHER social media account would be too much. It can be rather time-consuming to keep eveything updated, organized, interesting… too much of a hassle, right?
But Instagram solved one the “problems” I had experienced for a long time: what to do with the random pictures I took and had nowhere to post. :)
Well, I tried posting some of them on other platforms, but I always felt self-conscious of people’s thoughts of my pictures of blooming flowers, weird street art, the edge of my shoe perfectly matching some old wooden floor.
All of those pictures felt disconnected. Then Instagram brought meaning to all of that randomness, because:
a) You have a place to portray the little and big moment of your life in no particular order. With lots of hashtags.
b) You can always put a filter on anything that seems too simple or ugly and make it the most beautiful thing in the world.
c) You can always brag about #nofilter pics and how amazing you are for making that perfect shot.
My goal with this post is not to criticize a “likes-for-likes” culture, or the supremacy of superficiality. I am not an advocate of that either, but let’s stick to the point.
My goal here is to propose a way of living that embodies the logic of Instagram users.
Please allow me to elaborate on the letters I mentioned above.
a) I have friends who would interrupt anything they were doing to snap a picture and post it immediately. They would ruin a deep conversation or a technology-free meal to share their location, activity and companionship with the world. Ok, that’s not always cool. But if we had Instagram kind of eyes, we would be able to identify a special moment and cherish it longer. Like how the eyes of a baby glow when you make him laugh. Like how an elderly lady fondly thanks you when you hold the door for her.
b) Beyoncé talked about putting a ring on it. How about putting a filter on it? Sometimes our lives are not that vibrant. Beloved ones may get sick, the score on the exam can be lower than you expected, your dreams may seem out of reach. Those are days when you need Instagram kind of eyes to appreciate what you already have. Family issues are tough, but you are having that dessert you love. Adult life seems like a lot to handle at once, but you can always be a kid around your siblings. Those are the kinds of filters that make life more colorful when we most need it.
c) Raw is beautiful. Don’t be afraid of showing the #nofilter part of you. Fine, social norms are real, but dare to be yourself. Be bold. Be authentic. Be vulneable whenever you can. People around you will appreciate you more when you are simply being you. Not an uninspired version of someone else.
Remember that delightful sunset I told you about?
I still have it stored in my mind. And being there in that moment, with my Instagram kind of eyes was much more important than uploading a new picture to my social media accounts.
The most amazing pictures will never beat the value of being fully present in a special moment.
P.S.: All the pictures in this post were (proudly) taken by me. :)
Thank you for reading!
I would love to hear your thoughts on this post. Please comment!
