While tooling around on my favorite social network site, I noticed that a lot of people like to relive the past. I've even caught myself strolling down Memory Lane a few times. I wonder why that is?
Well, I've taken some time to think about it, and to be honest, I haven't got a clue. Oh, I could come up with some bullshit answer about life being simpler and how carefree life was back in the old days. But you know what? By focusing so much on the past, I think we rob ourselves of the blessings and joys of the present and future.
Oh, we all get caught up in a time warp from time to time but some people live there. The past is all they've got; or at least it feels that way to them. The past is a wonderful place to help us regain our bearings but it was never meant for us to live there permanently.
In our house we have this board where we've charted the growth of our children. It's been fun to see how they've grown over the years. As the year's wore on, the lines marking their new height got higher and higher. It was fun to watch them stretch their necks in an effort to try and be as tall as possible at each measurement. Next to each new mark we put their name and the date. It's fun to look back and see how they've grown over the years. And that's the way it should be...the past should be a beacon to remind us where we've been and to see how we've grown.
As I battled depression over the years, I've had to learn how NOT to live in the past. When life got tough, I found myself wanting to go back to a time when I had no responsibilities and when I could remember how it used to be before I felt like a failure. In an effort to change my stars, for the past several years, every day I've asked myself this simple question, "If today were my last day on planet earth, is this what I would want to be doing?" And whenever that answer is "No" for too many days in a row, I know that it's time for a change. You can't do that if you're living in the past.
One of my favorite comedians, Steven Wright, once said, "When I think of the past, it brings back so many memories." I have a lot of memories. A lot of good memories. But I think for now, I choose to live in the present with a hope for the future. So, if you are one of my social network buddies, you'll have to forgive me if I don't feel like always reliving the past.
Be well.
Bill
