Scales are a standard a icon of balance. In most images of scales there are two plates suspended by chains hanging on either side of a pole that teeters on a post. Place weights on one side and the arm dips until an equal amount of weight on the opposite plate brings the scale back into balance. It is a great symbol that cannot be replicated with electronic scales or industrial scales. Changing from scales that balance to scales that quickly provide a digital number is a great metaphor for our times and our lives. More information can be retrieved in a minute then our great grandparents could gather in a lifetime. This information has led to great advancements in many fields from industry to medicine. It has also increased the pace of our lives. Where once there was a spring where information bubbled up, now we are in the middle of a raging flood of information impossible to consume or digest. Movies are a great mirror of this changing pace.

When a film was being edited, it used to require something called a flatbed. An editor would pull clips of film from a bin which has strings of celluloid hanging from little hooks and drops into a giant canvas bag on wheels. The editor would choose what he wanted to insert into the film, go to the bins, find the clip, cut the film on the flatbed then splice and tape the piece to be inserted. The editor repeats this process for the sound. Each changerequires a physical insertion which took time. Aware that each cut was a commitment to time and effort, the editor would be thoughtful about the reasons for the edit, considering the reasons and visualizing the outcome prior to cutting the film. Every slice of film meant sacrificing a frame and a half of the work print. Every cut was deliberate and thought through ahead of time.

The advent of digital technology altered the way films are edited and viewed. What would have taken hours to accomplish can now be done in minutes or even seconds, without damaging or altering any work product. If an editor has a questionable idea, he doesn’t have to think it through. He can try it and see what it looks like with little time or effort spent. Visualizing an edit is replaced by trial and error, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. All the restraints of cutting and taping film are gone. As a result the number of cuts in a typical scene has multiplied dramatically. The old rules of editing are changing and the language of film has evolved.

Compare a film from 1950 to a film made today. The amount of information fed to an audience is very different. Current movies are frenetic, exciting, stimulating assaulting the senses and immersing the audience in a full out rapid fire experience. Comparing old movies to new movies is similar to the difference between being moved by a painting and being flung about by a roller coaster. Most teens find the pace of an older film slow and dull. The constant stimulation and movement of films made today reflect the larger social trend; while we are capable of processing more information quickly, it has increased our pace of life to almost addictive frenetic levels.

There are many advantages in our ability to collect and process massive amounts of information quickly. However, if we lose our capacity to sit quietly and reflect on what it really means have we gained anything?

Even though school is out and summer upon us, there are more and more events to celebrate. But, who has time to keep the kids occupied in addition to searching for the perfect gift. One sure way to get an appropriate gift in a flash but still look like you put forth a lot of thought and effort is to incorporate your personal photos into the item. Pieces such as photo jewelry or photo dog tags are ordinary items yet they become something very special and personal. You’ll be amazed at how many choices can be found online as well as at many of your local stores.

We all experience those feelings of panic when one special occasion quickly follows another and every time you turn around, you have a pile of presents for which you suddenly need to shop. But all your gift giving worries are over, because now you can shop for all your one-of- a-kind mementos in one convenient location. Simply provide some special pictures, chose the item you wish to create, and before you know it, a custom-made keepsake will be yours to bestow upon the recipient. You can even sit down at your computer with your child and create masterpieces for the entire family. Even places like grocery stores, drug stores and office supply and copy centers offer these items.

Significant occasions such as a graduation, wedding or first communion can be commemorated with products as keepsake boxes for storing all of life’s little treasures and memories. Get holiday gifts for all your loved ones without having to run around all over town. These precious creations are just the right thing for holidays such as Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween, Easter, Hanukkah, Christmas, Mother’s and Father’s Day. Grandparents can never have enough pictures of the grandchildren, so they would absolutely love to show off objects that they can use every day that have pictures of their favorite people on them. There are so many items that can be personalized with your own pictures —magnets, key chains, plates, mouse pads and coasters, just to name a few.

Now when your child is invited to yet another friend’s birthday party, you can be confident that the gift from you will not be duplicated by anyone else. Just imagine how thrilled they will be when they open up a t-shirt or sweatshirt with a picture of themselves and your child printed on it. The end of the school year can be particularly difficult when it comes to finding a meaningful gift for that favorite teacher. Items such as picture calendars, coffee mugs and tote bags are sure to be used and appreciated all year long.

If you want to give something special but you just don’t have the right picture or you are uncertain of the other person’s tastes, then simply purchase a gift certificate that the recipient can use to make something on their own. Gifts as these will certainly be cherished for a very long time. Unique and thoughtful presents we receive from special individuals in our lives make us truly treasure all the wonderful moments.