I suppose nothing is meant to last forever – Vivian Maier
Photographer Vivian Maier, known for her stunning images, once said, “Well, I suppose nothing is meant to last forever.” Recently, I too have grappled with the idea of memory and whether some things that hold a certain value in one’s history should be kept or discarded.
In my life, I have always placed a very high value on images and own many cherished photographs (taken by me or by others). In the past – say most of the 20th century -, when it came to family pictures, people used to capture happy moments. At the same time, in the world of documentary or artistic photography, many tragedies were being recorded alongside joyful moments. For me, photography is about memory in general — whether positive or negative.
Recently, I have thought a lot on the idea of whether some memories are truly worth losing or should be kept out of sight. Do we want to remember negative people in our daily lives, or former husbands, wives, or lovers? A few months ago, I would have said absolutely yes, that these things should be kept somewhere, but then I started thinking about how hurtful it actually is to look at people because of whom you’ve suffered. I burned a journal. I am unsure about photos. I know somewhere there will still be pictures that will evoke certain emotions, even if I throw out most of the ‘hurtful photos’. So, what do I do? Those memories will always be somewhere in my mind, and discovering elements that remind me of those moments will always hit like a wrecking ball in the gut.
In conclusion, all that I can say is that this is still a hard thing for me that I haven’t decided on. It seems that this topic is on my mind a lot these days, especially as a new year approaches and we are trying to turn a new leaf as the new year comes. I feel a certain discomfort because life compels us to ponder these matters, and what I truly wish for is a positive transformation in the course of events.
