Reminiscing

I just did a search for my blog, and I have to say it is kind of cool having my own web page pop up in the search results. I remember the days when web pages were a new thing and I remember thinking that I would never want one, let alone have one. How things have changed. I may only be 31, but it feels like I have been around a lot longer than that. Already, kids are growing up in a totally different world than what I grew up in. Kids today don't know what it's like to not have cell phones or cds and dvds. They couldn't imagine not having cable tv or the latest video games. They are totally surrounded by technology, and I wonder how they would adapt if all that where taken away.

I always thought I would never grow into one of those adults who says, "Back in my day......." But now I believe it is just something that happens to everyone that can't be avoided. I don't know if the past was necessarily better. Some things probably where, and some things probably weren't. But no matter what is in the past, it seems to have a powerful effect on people. It always wants to draw you back into it. Sometimes you remember the happy times and you are sad because they are over. Sometimes you remember the sad times and you can hardly bring yourself to get past the pain.

I have found that it is usually best to not dwell on the past, happy or sad. If you do, you will not fully live, because you will be neglecting the present for something that is already over and can never be again. I used to think about the past a lot before I realized this, and I think my life is better now that I don't let the past dominate my mind.

I have also come to realize in my years of living that change is a constant and cannot be avoided. This may seem obvious to most people, and I guess it is. But I used to spend hours and even days longing for things that where in the past. Once I accepted change, though, it really helped me let go of things that where already gone.

The past will always be a part of our lives as long as we can remember it. It is wise to learn from the past and even to reminisce about the past from time to time. But don't ever get stuck back there, or your life will move on without you.

(I think it is funny that I didn't start writing this post intending to write anything about the past. It just goes to show the tangents that my mind is always taking.)