I’m reading a book about WWII which contains plenty of pictures. I was looking at one of the pictures today which was well placed while also being oddly placed. I thought to myself, how long did this take? And then I realized, that question has more than one meaning.

How long did it take for the camera to capture the photograph?

How many shots did they do before they got this one?

Did he try 10 different smiles, or was this the first one?

How long did it take him, inside, to smile in the midst of a war?

And then I realized how much in our world has changed since the 1940s. Our technology is so advanced and yet we always want more. We have the luxury of having cameras in our pockets now, when they used to require tripods and lengthy set up. We have the luxury of seeing our photos instantly and demanding we try until we get it perfect. When did perfection become such an easy option for us?

Of course, not all “perfection” is easy. Many things in this world still take quite a bit of time and frustration. Many things still demand failure in order for us to learn what is best. However, we have it incredibly easy and we take all of life’s gifts and the gifts of people past for granted.