Ignoring Simplicity
The timeline of these photos tell the story of my typical afternoon of babysitting as well as the kids’ easy afternoon as elementary school students. In the first photo the simple life of a child is depicted by the one or two worksheets of homework the kids have that require no stress. Both of the kids are doing their homework which, due to their dull facial expressions, is clearly a bore, yet an easy task, shown through their relaxed body language. In the second photo, the girl is playing outside of her house with no toys, capturing the entertainment of simply being free from school with no other responsibilities as a child. The last photo was taken when I was driving home from work with an “ahead” sign toward the right side of the photo, symbolizing my desire to find light and freedom from my “responsibility” for the day. The entire theme of the photo essay is that as we grow up, we tend to ignore how life is so enjoyable when we are young and always focus on the world beyond the present. Beginning in our elementary years and continuing throughout our teen years, we as children keep the current moments in the dark and focus on the light of the future. Each photo’s focus is on the light in the foreground rather than the center of the photo: the simplicity of childhood. This relates to how we always long for the unknown in the future rather than appreciating how simple life is now. In the last picture, I am driving in the light because I am done with babysitting for the day, however, I was taking the simplicity of my afternoon for granted and wished away the time that I will never get back.
