On Making the Moment Last

by Belinda Munoz on April 29, 2011

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Stacks of diaries, ink on pulp
Sheets tearing, spine crumbling, facts fading

Pages of photographs, colors and greys
Two dimensional faces, places and things

Boxes of meaning, diamonds in dust
Preserved in storage, sealed with cobwebs

Freeze frame.  Hold still.  Stay awhile.
Embrace the moment tighter, longer, closer.

Seeking permanence…
Finding temporary…
Moving on…

eventually.

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For #sixwordfridays (prompt: Last) and for G-Man’s #fridayflash55.

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image by Bob AuBuchon

{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }

1 brian April 29, 2011 at 3:17 am

moving on is often hard to do, it is nice to reminisce occassionally as long as one does not get trapped there…

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2 Molly@Postcards from a Peaceful Divorce April 29, 2011 at 3:27 am

This one made me choke up a bit, especially since it’s my son’s ninth birthday today. You can’t hang on to the past, but sometimes you want to for just a bit. I agree with brian. I guess the trick is not to get too caught in the past. Love this one!

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3 Belinda April 29, 2011 at 10:54 am

Happy birthday to your son, Molly! Yup, I get choked up, too on my son’s birthday. Ahh, who am I kidding, I full on have a bawl fest :-) !

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4 Adrienne April 29, 2011 at 3:41 am

This is absolutely lovely. I have a true passion for scrapbooking, for preserving memroies. For me, it was born from a desire to slow down a bit, embrace the moment and tell the stories of our lives. I’ve loved digging up old family photos and writings and learning about my history ~ and want to pass that on. I’ll come back and read this … often!

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5 Sara April 29, 2011 at 3:58 am

I love the line ’seeking permanence’ – the memories, the possessions, a moment in time

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6 ayala April 29, 2011 at 5:11 am

Belinda, I love this. We try to embrace the moment tighter, closer and longer – said perfectly :)

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7 Marci | Liberating Choices April 29, 2011 at 6:41 am

So true. Sometimes I have to put my camera down and just enjoy. I love capturing them live, more than posed pictures, but I do dread the editing/printing/pasting process of having so many photos!

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8 Alice Audrey April 29, 2011 at 7:58 am

As opposed to those of us who are shutter happy and go around snapping off candid shots left and right.

– Alice

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9 Caroline April 29, 2011 at 8:32 am

I like the third stanza the best. But, then I also like the last two lines….eventually:) It’s so nice to have the memories to look back on. Especially when it has been a while!

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10 Sara Healy April 29, 2011 at 8:33 am

Belinda,

You’re getting better and better at these 55s. If only we could hold on to certain moments and keep them frozen, but we have to move on. I agree it is important to live each moment as fully as we can; we will never get the full sensory feeling again.

Then again, after reading some of the comments, I have to say there is something good about saving our memories in whatever way we choose. They’ll never be the same, but when I look at my mom’s old scrapbooks from the 1930’s, I see things about her I never would have known, if she hadn’t pasted her memories in a book.

Thanks for sharing this 55!

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11 AmyLynn April 29, 2011 at 10:10 am

Hanging on to memories and having to move on…

powerful emotions

thank you for sharing

that is all

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12 hedgewitch April 29, 2011 at 10:30 am

Last two lines are especially eloquent. How we long for our temporary to become someone’s permanence, even if it can’t be ours. Well-said.

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13 cj Schlottman April 29, 2011 at 12:03 pm

Your images make this piece jump off the page! “…sealed with cobwebs..” …ink on pulp
Sheets tearing, spine crumbling..” These concrete concrete images add so much to your tightly wound story of disappointment. I love this.

Namaste……….cj

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14 Justine April 29, 2011 at 12:36 pm

“Seeking permanence…
Finding temporary…
Moving on…

eventually.”

I can relate to this. Before I moved this time, I finally decided to throw away my wedding album from a previous marriage. I haven’t looked at it in so many years and the memories don’t really mean anything to me anymore, so why bother holding on?

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15 Ginny April 29, 2011 at 1:23 pm

Belinda this was truly beautiful. Your words made me think of my wedding album which is 43 years old. The photos are black and white and the pages are yellowing. I have often thought about changing the album but I don’t think it would mean the same surrounded by a bright and shiny cover. Although, I truly believe it is important to move on this is one thing I know I will hold on to forever.

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16 Shanae Branham April 29, 2011 at 1:54 pm

Beautiful…I love the line…”Embrace the moment tighter, longer, closer.”

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17 Melissa April 29, 2011 at 2:11 pm

I wish I could preserve everything.
Knowing it won’t happen. Embracing Now.

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18 dustus April 29, 2011 at 2:23 pm

While I love Photoshop and archiving photos and such, I miss old albums and the memories stored within. A very creative reminder to live in the present. Wonderful 55, Belinda!

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19 Rudri Bhatt Patel @ Being Rudri April 29, 2011 at 4:14 pm

Seeking permanence? So futile. Everything is about moving on.
Wise words Belinda.

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20 Steve Isaak April 29, 2011 at 4:32 pm

Excellent, perfect.

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21 colleen April 29, 2011 at 4:37 pm

“Boxes of meaning” is bringing me back. Beautiful imagery. :)

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22 G-Man April 29, 2011 at 5:54 pm

Moments captured in time…
Wonderfully written Belinda.
We all have them somewhere.
Loved your 55 My Friend, this was one of my favorites.
Thanks for playing, and have a Kick Ass Week-End

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23 Talon April 29, 2011 at 8:59 pm

I love the freeze-frame of photography and how a photo can bring all the elements rushing in…a whole flood of memories prompted from one second captured.

This made me melancholy, Belinda, but in the sweetest way.

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24 Mama Zen April 30, 2011 at 5:58 am

Gorgeous piece!

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25 Mel Gallant April 30, 2011 at 4:43 pm

“diamonds in dust” – I love it! Your post had made me nostalgic.

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26 Linda May 1, 2011 at 3:50 pm

Cool – I liked this very much.

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27 KB May 1, 2011 at 9:50 pm

It’s good to remember the past as long as it doesn’t stop us moving into the future.

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