Memories are the illustration of a life lived, regardless of how eventful or uneventful that life may have been. Both of which are subjective to each individual in their own set of circumstances.
Some of those memories are so fearcely locked in the depth of our subconscious that they cease to exist as an image, a thought or even a sound, smell or feeling. They exist only in a darkened corner of the mind made up of space, time and enigma.
We are taught to cherish so much of our existence, to have gratitude, to move forward, to live in the moment, to keep learning and to enjoy the journey; all the while being repetitively versed to "let go of the past." There is a lot of logic and reasoning to that sentiment - the most obvious being that if an individual becomes fixated on their own past, they will never progress, never overcome and never reconsolidate their life in a proactive, productive and meaningful way. The predisposed relationship between depression and individuals fixated with unchangeable past events is one that has been studied and proven thousands of times over.
There is much to be said about learning from the past. As a society and as an individual. Past progression is the default setting for humanity, history and the evolution of the planet as a whole - an on going experiment of trial and error; in search of perceived perfection; which is continuously interchangeable.
The common denominator irrespective of the source of the past, is that ultimately - it is negative. We either need to move on from it, or learn from it - or in some cases simply just "accept it"; all of which have connotations that are far from positive.
So, we forget.
We forget moments, we forget people, we forget lessons, we forget mistakes, we forget the cumulative experiences that may or may not have brought us extreme joy or the deepest darkest sadness. We forget regret and we forget hope from years gone by. We forget the idealistic, illustrious, exciting naivety and spontaneity of our youth.
In the process, or the quest, for a spotless mind - we undo and unravel the thread count that makes us who we are, who we were and the person we could continue to become. Instead, we start fresh and we remould our claywork to fit this moment. Not the past - perhaps the future, but most importantly; right here and right now; and we do it over and over again. But what is to be said about that deafeningly quiet but screeching loud dark, dusty corner of our minds that wrap our past up tight, safely, hidden from the outside world but flowing through the serotonin that silently fuels our minds, our hearts our existence everyday?
It is is all of the yesterdays that have given us our today. In a modern world that thrives off of nostalgia for a time that no longer exists; our recollections are both our demons and saviours. We need to allow those vivid, cathartic memories devour us; and help us remember what it is that brightens up our eyes, widens our smile, sends shivers down our spine whilst simultaneously staying safe, in the locked vault that is our past. You have the combination; know when to use it. Our moments in time exist; it is ok to revisit them.
