In computer terms, a “byte” is a small grouping of 8 bits (the very smallest unit of information). Historically, it was the unit that symbolized a single character on the keyboard. For example…
L
However, something really amazing happens when you put several bytes together. You can get…
Life
Wow. Simply integrating more than one byte creates a completely different unit and thus a different thought and emotion when you see the individual elements combined together as a whole. Imagine what you can see or create using today’s standard in computing. As a rough estimate, 1 Gigabyte = 1,000,000,000 bytes. That’s a billion characters! Most of your computing devices have at least 32 GB and up to 500 GB of possibilities.
In a similar comparison, a snippet is a little fragment. It is brief, and it is a small part of something. It represents a moment in time, but it is not the whole. Time, on the other hand, is a continued process of existence. It includes you, but it also precedes you and outlives you. It is now, and it is then.
You see snippets all the time. Social media is a fun way to showcase the pieces of your life and view many, many moments of others’ lives. It gives you a way to see what is happening with friends or acquaintances from near or far away. Distant grandparents can enjoy their grandchildren. Graduations, weddings, births and other milestone events can be celebrated. Even daily events can be showcased. I got a new haircut (selfie moment). It’s my son’s birthday. Starbucks has PSLs! The Broncos won (again).
I’ve been thinking of how these snippets are kind of like “bytes” of time. They are short and exist for a day, a week, and then they slip away. A snippet by itself is cute, interesting, or funny. A collection of snippets over a period of time gives perspective. It gives a more expansive understanding. It gives endurance. Snippets can form a tapestry of time in the shape of words, sentences, thoughts and pictures that elicit memory, emotion, and reflection. This collective expression also has the potential to provoke enduring gratitude.
Recently I began the process of converting my digital tapes to DVDs. In the olden days (i.e., the 1990s), we used a camcorder with video cassettes to capture significant events. A little here, a little there, until you had a single tape to watch that captured some highlights of a year of your life and the lives of those friends and family closest to you. It was a tangible expression of memory, and thus, a catalyst to remembrance. The tapes also demonstrated a sequence of time, maturity, and growth. They displayed ‘what was’ compared to ‘what is’. They showed how far we had come. Watching the progression established not only advancement but also affirmed purpose and vision, particularly during the very busy days with young children. You had a chance to say, “Yeah, we’re are building something here, and I can see it.” The day-to-day journey became a life journey, and the leap to appreciation was not so much of a leap anymore.
In high school, I enjoyed vinyl albums, 8-track tapes, and cassettes. Without enough money to buy all the albums containing the songs I liked, I would sit by the radio with my cassette recorder and wait patiently for my favorite songs to come on, quickly pushing the record button in order to have access to these songs whenever I wanted to listen to them. No one I knew owned their own computer. We used the computers that were available at school.
In the midst of all this wonderful technology, there are questions that plague me for our present generation. Are we losing something of the beauty and richness of the preservation of the whole of time in our pursuit of the celebration of a moment in time? As we walk the road of instant communication, are we losing the ability to step back and see the big picture? Are we setting ourselves up to forget?
November is the month we try to focus on remembering and on thankfulness. It is a month that can get lost in the seasonal transition from fall to Christmas. In like manner, I wonder if we are getting lost in the technological transitions. Despite the amazing technology that allows me to write and post this blog which can be read by hundreds of people in a moment of time, I’m curious about how we, as a generation, maintain a long-term approach to time.
Today, as you post that 10 second video, Instagram your favorite photo, or tweet your thought for the day, consider taking the time to invest in the preservation of those memories. A photo album or an iMovie compilation of clips can give your future teen a cool look at their childhood odyssey. A personal journal or blog can be a lasting testament to everyday thoughts and feelings as you walk through both joyous times and difficult ones. Yes, it takes a little more time than a post. It is an intentional investment of time, but in my opinion, a worthy one. It is a way of living in the moment, while reflecting on the past and building for the future.
You can create something bigger than the moment, something bigger than yourself. Not only will it afford you a more significant perspective of time, it will capture and preserve small moments of time and weave them into a beautiful picture. You can take the ‘L’ and transform it into ‘Life.’ Something for you. Something for those who enjoy life with you. Something for those who come after you. A legacy that remains. A legacy of time and of gratitude.