A few weeks ago I attended an event.
I watched fascinated as people abruptly left very interesting conversations (literally while the other person was still talking to them) because someone in some corner of the room was clicking a photo and they wanted to be in the photo.
Not just 1 or 2 or 3 photos.
They wanted to be in EVERY photo that was being clicked in all parts of the room.
And then someone said something very insightful to me.
“Nim, you should be in more photos.”
“Why?” I asked, curiously.
“Well, it shows you know so many people”
“And showing that I know so many people will do what exactly?” I wondered.
“Oh…I don’t know…it’s just good for you, I guess” she stammered.
At all these social events, so many are more interested in being clicked than having uplifting conversations, discussing new ideas, collaborating on new ventures.
I look at it through a slightly different lens.
I enjoy being in photos. Of course I do.
But that is never my SOLE OBJECTIVE in attending functions and events.
There have been times when I’ve returned home and realised that I’d forgotten to click even a single pic.
But I shrugged it off. Do you know why?
Because of the reason I forgot to take selfies.
I forgot because I was enthralled by the conversations I was having.
I forgot because I was having so much fun.
I forgot because I was learning something new.
I forgot because I was living in the moment.
Of course it’s important to capture snapshots of events because those photos make such lovely memories.
But one must decide how many selfies are enough.
Nim Gholkar, 2022