Classic Comforts

I love the feel of real books with real pages that I can turn. I love printed pictures that I can hold in my hands. I love large coffee table books that host beautiful imagery and inspirational ideas. And I adore heavy photo albums that I can place on my lap and peruse at my leisure. There is just something really special about these classic comforts that takes me back to a time when the pace was slower, connections were deeper, and people actually valued time.

I am so grateful to have so many tangible photos and albums from years gone by at my disposal, and I am so grateful to my ancestors who took the time to chronicle their experiences too. From photos of myself and my family from yesteryear, to images of relatives that I had never met, each photograph captured a moment in time that could never be replaced. In fact, if you think about it, each moment is truly irreplaceable, as no one moment is exactly the same as the last. Consequently, once in a while I like to pull out my big photo albums, grab a hot cup of tea, turn on the fireplace, and get cozy as I reminisce about my experiences, and then think about the history of all of the experiences of those who came before me.

Now, in addition to enjoying my photo albums, I also really love cozying up to my indulgent coffee table books that always inspire my imagination and appetite to explore further, whether it’s exploring more places that I want to visit, thinking about the experiences that I want to have, or investigating the knowledge that I am eager to come by. And as I turn each smooth page gently with my fingertips, it’s like I am embarking on an adventure every time.

Accordingly, I think these days, more than ever, we need to start capturing more meaningful moments and memories, rather than just selfies and accolades. I feel like years ago photos were taken for the sole purpose of cherishing memories for posterity, while today many are done simply for the sake of glorification. I feel like the purpose of photography is sometimes lost in the modern world, not realizing that it's about more than just capturing an image; it’s about capturing a feeling that we can go back to over and over again. Moreover, I think that these days, more than ever, we need to take more time to savor the little pleasures in life. I know that life can get busy, but if we don’t take a moment every so often to stop and enjoy the concept of time, time will just pass us by.

Time is a funny thing; it can feel fast or slow depending on our focus and perception. We could be doing something fun and time can just pass by in what feels like an instant. We could be doing something tedious and watch every second slowly go by. We can shake up our routines and embark on new adventures, which also has a way of slowing time down (like, for example, when we go on a week-long vacation but it ends up feeling like a month). Or we could just focus on savoring each moment and not worry about time at all.

I believe that in order to honor time, we need to stop and smell the roses on occasion, perhaps by looking at some old pictures and reminiscing about the good old days, browsing a beautiful picture book to get inspired for future endeavors, or maybe just sitting back, relaxing, and enjoying a nice warm cup of tea while staring into the fire.

This, I feel, is what is missing in this world today; with technology one-upping itself and people’s thirst for instant gratification getting more and more insatiable, no one seems to have the time to just “be” anymore. And, while modernization certainly has it place and conveniences, I feel that society needs to seriously bring back the habit of savoring time (and present moment experiences) so that we can finally honor and appreciate time in the way that it was intended.