I have written quite a bit about how personal narrative and shared narrative are in competition for our attention. I have also spoken on this topic that Renny Gleeson turned me onto in his 2009 TED talk at Fire and EMS conferences. For those of you unclear on what on Earth I am talking about, here's a quick refresher:
Personal narrative is your story, as it happens.
Shared Narrative is your story, including ensuring I am able to see it later, as it happens.
That doesn't mean I was there.
Go see an example I found in an Apple ad.
Imagine you are going to a dance recital. One of your family members is unable to attend and asks you to film the performance so they may enjoy it later. As you film the recital, you are forced to alter your personal narrative (simply viewing and enjoying the recital) to include this later sharing of the event (shared narrative). This essentially means that you will be watching the recital through the camera, just like the person who didn't go.
In that case what's the point?
There comes a time when our desire to share an event, or even capture it for later enjoyment, alters the moment completely. This is the core of why we in fire, police and EMS need to rethink WHY we wish to capture a moment, not blame the HOW (cell phone).
This was true last night at our community 4th of July fireworks show.
With my family on the smooth grass of the local high school was MC and his clan as well as our Aussie guest KablammoNick Williams (celebrating his first American Independence Day). I could very easily have gotten my little one off my lap, fumbled for my phone, blocked his and other people's view of the fireworks and gotten a great picture of him to remember the moment.
Only we don't need that photo, do we? I'll always remember that night.
As I looked around our little corner of a huge crowd I suddenly became aware of how bright it was behind us. Dozens of people had their phones and cameras out and were video recording the fireworks. Many of the devices were in AUTO mode so the spotlights were on.
It was distracting, it was unnecessary, and I can not fathom who on Earth gets excited when someone says "Want to see a fireworks show I took a video of?" That video caused the person taking it to miss some amazing things.
The greens were dazzling, the wafts of smoke illuminated by the sizzling ones made unreal shapes and the gasp of my daughter in my lap as a loud concussion and brilliant light engulfed us will not show up in those videos, nor would I have been able to actually experience the event with my camera in my hand the whole time.
I have a personal narrative, a first person account of the event that I can share afterwards.
I didn't need to add you to it in the moment to be able to share it.
That would have ruined it for both of us.
Don't blame the camera, blame the person so excited to share their life they forget to live it first.
Live now. Share later.
Personal narrative is your story, as it happens.
Shared Narrative is your story, including ensuring I am able to see it later, as it happens.
That doesn't mean I was there.
Go see an example I found in an Apple ad.
Imagine you are going to a dance recital. One of your family members is unable to attend and asks you to film the performance so they may enjoy it later. As you film the recital, you are forced to alter your personal narrative (simply viewing and enjoying the recital) to include this later sharing of the event (shared narrative). This essentially means that you will be watching the recital through the camera, just like the person who didn't go.
In that case what's the point?
There comes a time when our desire to share an event, or even capture it for later enjoyment, alters the moment completely. This is the core of why we in fire, police and EMS need to rethink WHY we wish to capture a moment, not blame the HOW (cell phone).
This was true last night at our community 4th of July fireworks show.
With my family on the smooth grass of the local high school was MC and his clan as well as our Aussie guest KablammoNick Williams (celebrating his first American Independence Day). I could very easily have gotten my little one off my lap, fumbled for my phone, blocked his and other people's view of the fireworks and gotten a great picture of him to remember the moment.
Only we don't need that photo, do we? I'll always remember that night.
As I looked around our little corner of a huge crowd I suddenly became aware of how bright it was behind us. Dozens of people had their phones and cameras out and were video recording the fireworks. Many of the devices were in AUTO mode so the spotlights were on.
It was distracting, it was unnecessary, and I can not fathom who on Earth gets excited when someone says "Want to see a fireworks show I took a video of?" That video caused the person taking it to miss some amazing things.
The greens were dazzling, the wafts of smoke illuminated by the sizzling ones made unreal shapes and the gasp of my daughter in my lap as a loud concussion and brilliant light engulfed us will not show up in those videos, nor would I have been able to actually experience the event with my camera in my hand the whole time.
I have a personal narrative, a first person account of the event that I can share afterwards.
I didn't need to add you to it in the moment to be able to share it.
That would have ruined it for both of us.
Don't blame the camera, blame the person so excited to share their life they forget to live it first.
Live now. Share later.
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