One thing we all have in common is capturing our favorite moments through photos and videos. We all take pictures, but how often do we truly stop and take in the moment that is passing? Whether it is a green mountain towering into the sky or a city full of life, beauty exists all around us. Yet, many of us have forgotten how too slow down long enough to appreciate it.
“I enjoy taking photos because looking back on them is like reliving the moment. Sometimes I worry that I won’t take enough photos and I lose track of the moment trying to preserve it,” shared junior Ashley Gomez.
The truth is a photo only captures a fraction of a second, not the experience itself. The real beauty is beyond your phone screen, brought to life by the surrounding scent, the trees, the land, and the emotions they evoke from you. Where social media dictates our lives, we become so focused on getting the perfect photo that we forget to live what’s in front of us.
The photo below captures the mountains beautifully, but it cannot capture what it felt like to stand among them.
The feeling you get standing 8000 feet in elevation witnessing the beauty of life is truly singular. Having the mountains surround you shows how small you really are.
When people stop noticing the world around them, they become disconnected from what’s real. Throughout history nature has endured our toxic behaviors and now is the time to protect it. A person is more likely to protect a place he has formed profound memories with and truly appreciate its wonders. But, what if we kept that attitude everywhere we went?
Living in Miami, you notice how alive the city and community are. Seeing it from above shows one how connected we all are through roads, neighborhoods, and water.
Whether it is a mountain thousands miles away in Switzerland or a flourishing neighborhood in Miami, every place is a moment that tells a story. If you’re willing to appreciate and understand, you easily can see why our home is worth protecting.
A place so involved in our daily lives, our school campus, is a part of the beauty we may overlook. We are used to seeing the beautiful palm trees and mangroves filled with life everyday, without realizing that our time here is fleeting. One day we will remember the stunning campus we have so many memories in, and we will remember the smell of rainy days, if you cared to notice.
“I tend to always tell people that I am lucky enough to have a magnificent campus waiting for me every morning,” shared junior Zoe Pazos.
We spend so much time rushing through life that we forget to see the beauty in our ordinary lives. Remember to take a deep breath and capture the moment with your eyes.
