There’s something to be said for habits.
I have been viewing the world through the lens of a camera for a lot of years now and, more recently, shooting short videos of events on my phone for posting to our ‘X’ account. The evolution of cell phones has made it easy to snap photos everywhere and it’s definitely true that I take way too many, all the time.
It was on a trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium when my daughter Ally voiced her displeasure that I was taking photos of my granddaughter looking at the jellyfish instead of looking at the jellyfish with her. I did look at the jellyfish; I can multitask, after all, and once I got a few photos, I enjoyed the exhibit right alongside Lorelei.
Growing up, my daughter often went with me to various assignments and some she liked better than others. So, when it came time that I was watching my granddaughter while my daughter was at work, Lorelei would go with me. She has been to multiple sporting events, parades, Fun Bunch gatherings, festivals, library programs; the list goes on. She loves (much to her mother’s dismay) to grab my camera and get a few photos of the action, too. One of her favorite things at home is her little camera and she takes endless photos. One day she was standing in the middle of the living room spinning circles, taking photos as she spun around. Most of them, of course, were nothing but a blur but she had fun.
With her getting older now – she will proudly tell you she is going to be FOUR on her next birthday and yes, it is in all caps because she says it very emphatically – she is expanding her activities and it seems as though we are constantly on the go.
Her first soccer season has been fun and, a couple of weeks ago, my daughter was actually glad that I was in my normal mode and doing videos of the action.
Lorelei had been upset the first few games because she didn’t score; no matter how much we told her it was just as important to move the ball toward the goal and let a teammate score, she was really down, saying she “didn’t win” because she didn’t score. Ally – who was a defender throughout her soccer career – explained that if you want to score, you have to be “first to the ball” and take charge.
Well, the three-and-a-half-year-old took that message to heart and she was determined. I was using my phone to record snippets of the game and Lorelei was right there in the mix, kicking at the ball with a pack of teammates and opponents. It squirted free, she was first to the ball, turned it around and dribbled toward the goal, sending off a shot that went just inside the left post. She looked, did a little victory leap off the ground, then came sprinting over to the sideline to give her mommy a big hug and a high five, with smiles all around. It was such a sweet moment.
And I got it in living color. For once, my daughter was grateful I was doing a video because that first goal only happens once.
Her second goal of the day came just a couple of minutes later. This time, Lorelei watched it go in and then just walked back to midfield to high five her coach, as if scoring was something she did all the time.
She’s learning the game, learning (although slowly) that teamwork means you don’t take the ball away from someone wearing the same color jersey as you, and that you celebrate as a team when anyone scores.
Luckily for her, Mimi isn’t going to stop taking pictures or videos any time soon, so whatever milestone is next, I plan to capture it.
Marg Jackson is editor of The Oakdale Leader, The Escalon Times and The Riverbank News. She may be reached at mjackson@oakdaleleader.com or by calling 209-847-3021.
