My youngest daughter, Jordan, playing on the "apple 'puter"Being a social media geek has afforded me the pleasure of meeting and interacting with a ton of smart people. Most of the folks I have come across are similar to me. They are dads, going along their business to make a buck for the family and enjoying every second of it.
CC Chapman is one such dad that I've friended via Twitter, Facebook, etc. Check out his blog post about Grandfathers and Grandsons. The post includes a video and even if you don't know CC or his family, you will appreciate the video especially if you are family oriented person and especially if you are a dad.
His video got me thinking about how blessed we -- as social media geeks -- that technology is so accessible in many forms and how the archival of photos, video and stories will keep our family legacies alive. Imagine what CC's video will look like in 2029. Imagine that it has been added to by his son (with scenes of his dad -- CC -- and his own son). It's an incredible to think about how digital content we're creating is preserving our memories for not only us, but our kids and our kids kids.
Preserving the memories of your family is an important job as a dad. Yes, it stinks to lug around camera and video equipment around, sitting in front of the computer for hours editing, uploading, etc. but at some point, someone is really going to appreciate the body of work you've created.
I go through old pictures from time to time and think about what it would have been like to grow up in a technology-focused age as it is now. Would I have an appreciation for it as I got older considering that I was used to being photographed all the time and used to seeing myself on video? Maybe not. However, when you have kids, your perspective on life changes dramatically and everything you do is pretty much done for the benefit of your kids. Everything you experience is done through the family lens and most of the time, you're capturing it.
So to the dads out there...keep shooting, keep sharing. We can inspire each other like CC inspired me today.