The Past

[mw2530]

I was checking my email tonight, and randomly decided to look back at old emails from years ago. I stumbled across emails that reminded me of old times. Some emails were with people that I don't even remember who they are. And emails to and from old friends, many of which I have not seen in years. Some emails reminded me about events that I had forgotten about. Reminded me of times during my college years. It also reminded me that so many things that we are concerned about seem rather unimportant after a certain amount of time passes.

After looking back, it is crazy how much life can change over a time - in this case a decade or so. At the same time, I am fundamentally the same person as back then with similar strengths and weaknesses. Some of my problems have changed, but some are the same that I had 10 years ago. I know a lot more than I did back then and feel wiser.

I wish back then that I knew what I know now and could go back to 10 years ago and relive some of it. Oh but don't we all. Well, maybe we don't necessarily want to relive it, but I wish I knew what I know now back then. I suppose wisdom is the gift we receive as we get older to offset the loss of the gift of youth.

I'm not sure what the point of this post is other than life itself is such a strange thing. We meet people throughout our lives, and more often than not we only know them a short period of time. Often times, we may not even know the last time we see a person and go separate ways. Not that we necessarily care unless they are a friend, but it is just strange to think about.

 

[Pats]

Reminiscing can be very enjoyable. Seems like we 'reminisce' bout the good times but we 'remember' the bad.

 

[Garry jackson]

Looking back is fine as long as (for me anyway), I don't dwell on what could have been. Important to draw a line, learn and move forwards - whilst it's important to remember who I am and what I am, it isn't always good for me to be reminded of what I could be or could have done. Because I have this condition, I see the world as a picture, and sometimes i connect too many dots and its tough, and I have to narrow my field of vision a bit, maybe that can help you too ?

 

[tducey]

I enjoy looking at the past as well. Both on email and forms of social media. Always good to look back on how life has changed and what has stayed the same.

 

[Tom]

The past to me, is connected to now in a continuum. That is what I am today is the result of everything along the way. Certain realizations may not have occurred without the mistakes.

But just thinking about memories, I see it sometimes as a huge building with many levels and corridors and rooms. Its always fascinating when I stumble upon a long forgotten memory (corridor) which leads to many other forgotten related memories (rooms).

 

[Fino]

Nostalgia is very painful.

 

[Misery]

Nostalgia is very painful.

Aye, same here.

I cant deal with it. It hurts too much, things/events/activities/people/traditions/whatever that I miss.

 

[Gracey]

Change may be one of the only constants we could depend on. Many things change.

I think I've seen too many winters, eventually one decade can meld into the next. I'm not sure I can remember any highlights from ten years ago using my own brain.
(would have to rely on photographs or the memories of others)

 

[SusanLR]

The past to me, is connected to now in a continuum. That is what I am today is the result of everything along the way.

This is what I always tell people who say things like "That's in the past, forget about it, get over it."
But, it happened and influenced who I am now.
We are a sum total of everything up to the present.
@Fino nostalgia can be painful, true. I call it bitter-sweet. I think of things or see photos that bring
back feelings that are both wonderful and painful at the same time because knowing it will never be
again hurts. Especially if things aren't so good in the present.
I try to be mindful of the present moment, but, it always includes the emptiness of what I've lost
mixed in with it.

I also keep e-mails from years ago and like taking photos.
It is a strange feeling for sure that change IS the only constant.

 

[tlc]

I was doing that this winter, when I swapped my archive of stuff to this computer. I have a saved text / character document (difficult to read but it can be picked apart) of my mailbox when I stopped using Eudora and started using webmail, in the early 2000s. It was interesting to read.

There is also a Yahoo group about cars like mine that I used to frequent 15-20 years ago, and I was surprised to find that it is still active with some of the old members. So I've been posting there. The archive is still complete, so one snowstormy weekend I stayed up and read everything I had posted. I remembered posting most of it. One thing I noticed was back then, I accomplished everything much faster. Projects that would take me a month now I did in a week, and back then I had to research it too, where today I'd just duplicate it. Also many times I referred to a couple years ago as "a long time ago". Today a couple years isn't that long ago. I met up with several of them in 2006. I'm kinda thinking of meeting up with one of the original and still active members from New York, before something happens to either of us. He's still got 4 cars like mine.

Last month was 20 years since I moved into my first (and previous) house. I feel like I accomplished a lot in the first few years, but since then it's been more of a matter of survival and many dreams for projects I had faded away. I'm finally getting in a better position and would like to do more things again before I get too old, particularly things around the house. Not only do things take longer, but time goes faster. Every weekend I feel like it was just yesterday and the week has been forgotten.