Time is going by really fast.
I checked my calendar this morning and realized I've neglected to change it from September to October. It's already October, guys. We're nearly a week in. 2014 is now over 75% over with. It feels like the fragments of memories that are now considered quite distant were only just out of reach in time. As we all tend to do towards the end of every year, I've been nostalgically reflecting upon what the contents of this year have had in store for me thus far. It's a truly gratifying experience. I've been able to revisit some of the more precious memories that were created in the seemingly short time span which really lift my spirits in knowing that those very memories will only age like fine wine and become more and more fond as these times become some of the best I will ever reminisce. Spending time with the people that helped sculpt those permanent impressions is always a fantastic and very entertaining way to help spark some of those hidden and forgotten memories of a bygone time. Having done this quite often, it's shocking to me how many past events that I once thought I'd never forget have now nearly been completely wiped from my conscious. That phenomenon really got me to question the apparent fate of many of these precious memories:
Where do those missing memories go?
What causes us to seemingly lose those memories in the collective fog of every single event, from the most basic and elementary concept of taking a breath that happen every second to the unforgettable moments that are so rare but yet so rich in our minds? The human brain makes an overwhelming amount of computations and thoughts and actions nearly constantly, and for some reason only the ones that hold some sort of significance to us are the ones that are stored into our conscious and memory. We can recall some of these events with such vivid accuracy for so long, sometimes we can even step right back into that very moment like it were a reenactment. What is even more surprising is that some of what we would consider the strongest of our memories or the most vivid are barely remembered at all. Perhaps it was the excitement we felt at the time, the emotion that clouded our conscious mind at the time. That sort of stuff. More often than not, these memories are shared between a group of individuals, rather than explicitly to oneself, which creates an even stronger reinforcement of our most cherished memories. Normally this is considered a positive and beneficial feeling. Unless that memory wants to be forgotten.
What happens when your most cherished memories because your most crippling?
What happens when our own minds indulge into inter-psychological warfare? Memories will come and go in our lives. Just as well, people will come and go in our lives. This list includes but is not limited to friends, family, coworkers, classmates, acquaintances, hell, even perfect strangers. Statistically, we are bound to know different people and replace others in our sphere of interaction, making room for new memories. But still yet, those memories are never quite replaced. A memory is very much like a lasered image that is burned into the metal slate that is our mind, and takes a lot of repair to completely remove. What I've lately been experiencing is quite the predicament, as it's something very common that we've all experienced before. The memories I once shared with people who were close to my heart and which mean so much to me have either passed me by and have not offered me the second glance or even no longer wants to remember my memory.
But those memories are still there.
Is it possible that a memory that is simply seen as not worthy of attention or even condemned of attention could mean the most to somebody else? As goes the old saying, one person's trash is another's treasure. Are we no longer of existence in one's conscious but still presently alive and well in another's? Perhaps this is a call for what we ultimately feel is of significance to us. We will progress as individuals, many and nearly all will be absolutely nothing like we are now in the distant future. 10 months have passed already and it's stunning when I think about where I thought I'd be compared to the outcome. We may be forgotten and left behind by those who mean the most to us, but that does not mean that we, ourselves, can leave behind and forget who we are. We control the memories that will be imprinted into our minds, and we decide which of those will be memorable or regretful. We are the deciders of our own fate.
The choice is yours.
