The Power of a Photograph - Throwback Thursday

​by Skip Cohen

Throwback Thursdays in the past have been one of my favorite days of the week. I love the way old photographs transport me, even if for just a few minutes, to something in the past - a place, a moment in time or friends I've missed seeing over the years.

But I have to admit it's tougher to share this morning than ever before. Last night Sheila and I broke one of the rules in our home - we watched the news. We hadn't completely put our heads in the sand, just stayed away from the politicians and controversy over the pandemic. We're following all the guidelines and have self-quarantined for a month. 

What hit me hardest and kept me up most of the night was a story on the news, not about the virus, but the effect of the virus on unemployment and lines of people trying to get food for their families. Then came the forecast of the number of people who are likely to lose the fight against Covid-19.  

The world is a mess right now, and while there's little any of us can do, there's a lot we can do. It seems so trite to suggest we need not to lose faith. And honestly, I'm having a hard time walking the talk. 

I've shared this before, which Sheila has framed in our bedroom:

Faith...is being sure of what you hope for
​ and certain of what you do not see.

So, sharing that quote from the Bible, and thinking about what it means, I went off in search of a Throwback.

It's nothing special - just a plain old ordinary Saturday night in Florida in 2013. We drove out to Anna Maria Island here in Sarasota, and sat by the water. I only had my iPhone with me, but here's what I got out of this ho-hum ordinary image.

I remember the waiter being frustrated with us because we spread out dinner to keep the table until sunset. We stretched it out for over two hours.

This one image took me back to a time that was so much simpler and safe. It was therapeutic and tempered the depression I was feeling with some much-needed ingredients - faith that the world, when this is over, will get back to something even better than it was, and a time when we'll all stop taking so much in our lives for granted.

My suggestion for all of you on this Throwback Thursday, or any other day for that matter, is to take the time to find a moment in your memory banks to savor. Use your images to stay focused on the goal of normalcy. Cherish those people in your life you love most and stay the course on keeping safe.

We'll get back to those days or something closer than what we're dealing with now. 

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