Sunset Through A Lens
I’ve recently come back from a trip to Santorini, Greece. It’s a very beautiful island that’s famous for its sunsets and stunning views. The island has several small, iconic white towns lining giant cliff tops that have been featured in bazillions of travel blogs and instagram photos. Maybe you’re familiar with these images… The tiny towns are filled with gorgeous blue domed churches, bright white buildings and greek salads at every corner. It’s a stunning place and has become a very popular travel destination in recent years (no surprises there). With this popularity comes an influx of tourists queuing to have their photos taken at certain “iconic” locations. The island was very busy and it wasn’t even peak season, but even the crowds didn’t reduce its beauty!
One of the most enjoyable parts of visiting Santorini was watching the sun disappear behind the horizon in an explosion of colour each evening. With a gentle Mediterranean breeze and the sunlight bouncing off the sea, it really did feel like paradise. The sunsets are truly incredible and each night they would have a different feel about them. Sometimes they were orange, other times they were red with streaky clouds (insert generic sunset description here). I haven’t seen many sunsets to rival their beauty. I think most people would agree with me.
The interesting and surprising thing for me was that a large number of people (very large number) were so engrossed with their phones and cameras that they weren’t really watching the sunset. This wasn’t everyone but it was VERY noticeable. I don’t mean people taking the odd photo whilst watching the sunset. That’s pretty normal behaviour and it makes sense. I took a ton of photos as it was such a stunning experience. See below! What I’m referring to here is the people who literally watched the sunset through a lens. They were taking hundreds of photos in the course of a few minutes and not actually watching the sun go down. I stood next to a man who had a digital camera with a lovely loud click every time he took a picture. I actually ended up laughing hysterically because it sounded like a paparazzi photoshoot. I genuinely feel that he didn’t look at the sunset once throughout the experience. He would check the photo he had just taken and then take another one. And then another one. Even when I moved, he seemed to follow me to continue the onslaught of photography.
Further down the road there was a man engrossed in his phone - more than likely scrolling on social media or messaging friends. He was literally sat facing one of the most beautiful sunsets on the planet and he wasn’t looking at it. Unbelievable! Unfortunately, he wasn’t the only one. There were several others doing exactly the same thing. Stunning.
My favourite sunset non-appreciator was a woman having a loud, obnoxious conversation on her phone. Her back was facing the sunset and she was looking at a wall… A wall! WHY? The irony here is that I ended up watching people watch the sunset (insert facepalm emoji). I made the effort to stop doing this towards the end of the trip and tried my hardest to remain present whilst enjoying the view.
At what point do sunsets get boring and phones/technology/cameras become more engaging? I’d say at the point of addiction. It’s something that can happen to all of us and I certainly feel the pull towards my phone throughout the day. Technology addiction is ever-present and it’s something that we all need to become conscious of. I don’t want this post to be a rant about people going on their phones, but I do want to highlight the incredible power of technology. When a stunning sunset gets sidelined for a video of a cat playing the piano on YouTube, I think we should start to really think about where our attention goes. Becoming conscious of the fact that something needs to change, will allow us to start making that change. Our phone usage is something that I think we should all be aware of.
The solution to this problem is to actively become a more present human being. This is easier said than done, I know! However, the the act of living in “real time” and experiencing what’s happening to you in the “here and now” is a great place to begin. Watching the sunset, tasting the flavours of your meal and truly engaging with the people around you is a way for us to become more present. Meditation is another great way for us to focus on the raw sensations of reality, moment to moment. It’s something that takes practice and is a skill we can develop.
So, the next time you find yourself watching a sunset, make sure you savour its beauty!
“There is nothing more musical than a sunset.”
Here’s an example of a pretty rubbish sunset in Santorini that I witnessed. Probably not worth looking at… Now, where’s my phone gone?