Goal for the Day: Record the Commonplace

A studio shot, young and bespectacled
with "Wishbone," 1996

Though you may do the same things every day, and though your daily routine may not seem very special right now, in twenty years, you may yearn to remember what occupied your time. I remember, years ago, working on the set of the PBS show Wishbone. I wish I had taken more time to document that period of my life. Now, almost fifteen years later, I look back and realize I should have taken more photographs of the sets, of the people with whom I worked, of Soccer, the dog. I wish I had been more careful about absorbing the action that unfolded around me. Now, looking back at the memories of the beginning of my career, I find that they are somewhat murky. Had I been more vigilant in recording what was happening at the time, I could have created a greater historical record—not only of my own experiences, but also of a much beloved television program of the mid 1990’s. I thought it would last forever. But, nothing does.

So, today, as you go on about your business, snap a few photos with your cell phone of the world around you. Record the places, the people, the activity which to you may seem dull right now, but in the future will be a fond memory. Time brings many changes—most of them for the good. But, that doesn’t mean that we don’t want to look back from time to time to see where we’ve been. That’s the only way to know where we’re going.