First, let me say that I am going to complain about something that has no consequence and is not a problem. But it bugs me anyway.
Every time someone says that they are going to make memories by doing something or being somewhere, it sounds wrong to me. It sounds like they are thinking more about the future than the present. Of course, we all plan for a Big Trip, Big Birthday, etc. that we hope will be memorable, but making memories has crept into everywhere and every day. As we all know, memories, especially good ones, can come from the most mundane things. As I have been writing about a different topic every week for StoryWorth, this has become even more evident. For example, when writing about the kitchen from my youth, I remembered fondly soaking the labels off of cans and making puzzles out of them. This all came from my imagination and was not a special setup from my parents. They didn't need to give me a grand kitchen or special toys to make a memory for me.
I think the widespread use of the phrase make memories is a fairly recent phenomenon. I don't know, but I think it has stemmed from the explosion of social media sites to share things. This has changed the way we do things. For example, I remember a trip to Disney World where many people were spending so much time taking pictures that they didn't see or enjoy what they were supposedly experiencing. They spent much of their time ignoring what they had paid a lot of money to see. The mindset of how something will look on social media has crept into everyday life to the point that we need to manipulate every situation as one that will make memories.
I would like to say that I am totally immune to the social media explosion, but I'm not, as evidenced by this blog. I usually try to take a few pictures when we're on an outing, but I like to think that I am following one of my favorite sayings, "Everything in moderation." This brings me to the point that I have found what is comfortable to me in balancing the present and future (and recording it), and I should let everyone else find their comfort zone and not worry about it. But the phrase, making memories still bugs me.
Now I'm wondering if I use that phrase! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I mind the phrase so much as I mind the oversaturation of posed social media pictures. I have noticed this trend mostly with my younger coworkers. One of them was showing me pictures from Christmas morning, where they were all wearing matching pajamas. My coworker (who I like, btw) had very obviously applied makeup and styled her hair for the picture and while I said nice things about the picture, in my mind I was thinking, really? Isn't Christmas morning a time to relax and have fun with your family without documenting and posting every moment?
I really enjoy taking pictures when we are on vacation--for me, it's more of a "keeping the memory" thing rather than "making memories". It's so easy for me to forget the little moments and one of the things I love about vacation photos is that it reminds me of things I may have forgotten. I don't post anything on a social media account--it's purely for my family's enjoyment. Since we don't post pictures, I don't feel the pressure to make sure my hair looks good, my makeup/clothes look right, that I am assuming the most flattering posed position .... you get the idea. Maybe my age has something to do with that mindset?
I do think there is an age component to the social media thing. I am old enough to remember that when we took pictures, we had to take them to be developed and wait a week to finally see what they looked like. It was not an instantaneous thing like it is today. And there was no place to post them except in your personal photo album. Since most everyone has a cell phone with a decent camera these days, there are many more pictures to compare yours to and thus the staging, etc. And many of the younger people, don't remember a time when ubiquitous photos weren't the norm.
DeleteI don't mind the phrase; I rather like the idea of doing something that will be looked back on fondly, some day. :) I generally don't set out to "make memories", but, I take photos to "capture the moment" from time to time and, sometimes, I post them on the blog! :D
ReplyDeleteI like the idea that something will be looked back on fondly, too. I just don't want to spend all of my effort in trying to make that happen and forget to enjoy what is happening in the present. But like I said, someone saying "make memories" is not a problem, just one of my personal annoyances. And now I feel like I should say something like, "Bah, humbug." :)
DeleteI probably have been guilty of using that term "making memories" but I think I tend to use it more when spending time with family, especially grandson, and I'm hoping we are making memories that he'll remember after I'm gone :) Interesting subject to think about. Now I'm going to try to be cognizant of when and if I use that term and make sure I'm also living in the present :)
ReplyDeletebetty
If I had grandchildren, I'm sure that I would be thinking more about making memories for the reason you said. I'm a planner, so sometimes living in the present is hard for me. I have to work at it.
DeleteWhen I see people at concerts, with phones overhead to record it, instead of fricking enjoying the music, dancing all that, it reminds of the phrase about memories you speak of. I'm too old to "make memories". Lol.
ReplyDeleteI'm not too old to make memories, but at some point, I will be too old to remember them. :)
DeleteOverall I agree with paying attention to the concert and I'm assuming that you both are thinking about professional concerts that you pay to get into. I admit that for my kid's band concerts, I have frequently recorded some of the songs, more with the mindset that I can then share them with grandparents who weren't able to attend. I have wondered before if it irritates other people when I do it. Our band concerts aren't consistently recorded and uploaded for public viewing, unfortunately.
DeleteAt my kids' schools, people had to stand in the back to record things. That way they didn't get in the way of anyone else. However, phones didn't do long recordings at that point, so some of the equipment was bigger.
DeleteI think a lot of us are probably annoyed by at least one common phrase. Self care is the one that grates on my nerves, for some of the same reasons you mentioned. It does seem like sometimes people are too busy curating things for social media than enjoying them. I don't think I use the phrase "making memories " much, but now I'm going to pay attention. Like you mentioned about the cans, sometimes the most vivid memories are of the simplest things.
ReplyDeleteI think you're right about one phrase or another will bother most people. Someone the other day said they can't stand it when people use the word, "literally". I don't think I use "self-care" very often, but now I'm going to pay attention, too.
DeleteI think you're right June. It's like when people ask what do you like to do for fun? It confuses me. Does that mean what you do all day isn't fun. I don't really like to work but I still have fun conversing with my co-workers and some of the regular customers. I have fun everyday with my family even just hanging out watching TV.
ReplyDeleteSo I get the phrase Making Memories bugs ya.