Growing up before camera phones and doorbell cameras we rarely had the chance to see life unfold. Nowadays it is common to see just about anything.
The other day I saw footage of a moose shake off its antlers. It was amazing to see this moose standing in a guys front lawn in Alaska. That alone was stunning…. Then suddenly this moose starts to convulse and tremble. The antlers just popped off and landed in the snow. The moose reached down to smell the shredded rack and then runs off. Moments later the home owner walks out and picks them up and shows them to the camera.
I watched this moose shed those antlers a half dozen times. It was beautiful to see nature at work.
These cameras are such a huge part of society today. They definitely show us things we couldn’t see just a few years ago.
A camera was there when Oswald was shot or when Reagan was shot. We all witnessed the Space Shuttle Challenger explode after take off. These tragedies were etched and scarred into our minds. The occasional reminder of how horrific life can be.
Today we are numbed by life’s daily tragedy and take it for granted how nature works.
The last couple days I took a video of my drive to work. Over the weekend I dreamt that I was videoing my drive and was hit head on. I woke up immediately from that dream, but that could happen and we see these videos everyday now.
Sometimes we see the good in life. Like the UPS guy dropping off a delivery and taking a moment to shoot hoops with the little kids in the driveway.
Thirty years ago some guy had the mind to take out his fifty pound Camcorder and tape the LA Police beating the shit out of Rodney King. That was the first glimpse that America saw of a daily occurrence.
Even the footage of a white Bronco racing down the highway was captivating for America to watch.
Friday night the video was released of a black kid getting pummeled to death by five policemen in Memphis. America heard this poor kid scream for his mom. The grainy video camera film with no audio of Rodney King is archaic compared to what we witnessed on the street corner near Tyre Nichols’ moms house.
It was so funny to watch those rare home videos with the dates on the corner of the screen. The host would come out on a Sunday night and we would vote for America’s funniest video.
The Johnson family from Ohio and their dog Maxwell on the trampoline. The Ortega family from New Jersey chasing a rooster through the living room. This weeks winner is the Tanner family from Fon du Lac and their baby farting in the bathtub.
I’d much rather watch a cute baby farting during bath time than a senior citizen getting mugged on the subway. Life would be so peaceful if a moose shedding it’s antlers was the breaking news and not a carjacking near Wrigley Field.
Can we go back to Uncle Schlomo bringing his bulky video recorder to the bar mitzvah and not George and his camera phone capturing me brush my teeth on the crapper?
We are all witnessing each others lives at a quicker shutter speed today. I’d prefer going to a wedding and seeing box cameras on every table. Life was simple when there was a PhotoMat in the parking lot by K-Mart.
Today is the last Monday of January. I hope you witness more good in your world today, this week and the coming month.
Don’t forget to watch “Groundhog Day” on TBS this Thursday. It comes on after “America’s Funniest Videos.”
