Every now and then we have to take stock of our lives. Redefine our goals, and navigate our lives in the direction we intended to travel. Yet looking back involves bringing in your past.The fine balance of living has the prerequisite of defining what is your past and in many ways not confusing it with your present.
Where do you draw a line when digging into your past? Nostalgia, reminiscing about old times, living in the past - is it about going back to your roots, or is it just escapism?
Life is meant to be lived in the present - every minute of it. Yet what about the memories, what about the people and the events that have made you what you are today? Do we just brush them off our shoulders, or do we try to find closures, or do we carry them along with us?
I personally find dealing with the past is like dealing with fire - caution is mandatory. All the latent memories, waiting to flow out from the womb of your heart. All the good times, bad times, all waiting to corrupt your present.
For years, I avoided looking back, for the simple reason that life was volatile enough for me to just be barely able to handle my present adequately. Old photos, nostalgic talks all were out of bounds. In many ways denying the existence of past was the way to survive. Yet, what are we, if not a scrapbook of memories? How can we deny where we came from and the people who directly or indirectly played an important role in molding our present?
Maybe I feel confident enough, or tranquil enough to feel that a few ripples will not create a storm. Maybe it is time to accept that although I have literally come a long way, and have changed - not only my name, my roles, treating the past with respect is the only way to move forward.
Yet sometimes you move so far ahead or your own present has enough drama, that adding the spice of the past will only get you into trouble.
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