Camera happy in Torino

In watching the opening and closing ceremonies of the Torino Olympics, I couldn’t help but notice a trend: large numbers of athletes carrying camcorders, cameras and cell phones as they walked into the arena. Is too much technology ruining the live events we participate in?

I only ponder this because I was personally annoyed at watching the athletes on television who in turn were doing their own taping or talking on the phone. On the one hand, sure I would want to tape my experience in Torino or someplace exciting and share it with my family. On the other hand, who really wants to sit around and look at it again?

I used to be snap-happy on trips but I’ve calmed down. I have to ask myself what photos I truly want to keep and what realistic number of photos do I add to the album to share before I reach that limit where friends begin refusing to come over for dinner.

But it's not just Torino that has me wondering why we can't use technology with more sense. It's the couple walking down the street together talking on their cell phones to other people. It is my ex who spent most of our weekend trip to Monterey videotaping the sights while I missed out enjoying that time with him. It's that one guy in the theater who insists on checking the time on his brightly lit phone five times during the movie his girlfriend dragged him to see.

Some things are savored more when they’re not overdone.