By: Evelyn Zagula
Out of the many ingenious discoveries and innovations that the world has come up with over the past years, I believe that it is most unfortunate that the ability to travel back in time is yet to be developed. You have certainly heard of the many overused sayings which explain that “pain is only temporary” or to “always live joyfully in the present”, but it almost scares me just how temporary everything in our lives is; without even mentioning the obvious fact that life itself is temporary. No one will ever be granted a second chance at the outcome of something they have experienced in the past and it will forever be impossible to relive some of your happiest memories and moments. These are thoughts that have undoubtedly crossed the minds of everyone, but require to be entirely understood in order to live life with complete content.
To put things in perspective, think about your most prized possessions at this moment right now. Maybe a favourite sweater, a piece of jewelry, or your phone, perhaps. Will these objects remain of the same importance to you in ten years? Likely not. They will change to things that have more significance in a much different stage of your life. It is for the same reason you did not just think of something that you valued highly ten years ago. These things - like many others - will always change.
At some point, everything you have ever owned will belong to someone else or will never be seen again by anyone. The same way you would walk into a new place with no knowledge of its past or its importance to other people.
Although everything else in existence is temporary, the bittersweet purpose of having memories will always keep you connected to everything you have ever experienced by offering nostalgia and reminiscence. It is for this very reason that we must appreciate what we have at this moment, because you will one day look back at this time in the exact way you muse over the past now.
The memories attached to inanimate objects as well as actual people are completely unique to only you. And it is especially important to remember to not feel tethered to the temporary objects themselves, but rather to the feelings they give you. This way, while everything in your life changes, it is still possible to search for these feelings in a place different from where they were first found. This continual attempt to relive specific emotions is the closest we will ever get to experiencing things from the past.
As I see it, the most pivotal realization to have is the understanding of how crucial it is to be constantly aware and in touch with your emotions and feelings. Paying attention to who you are with when feeling happiest, or being conscious of the way you would like others to feel when they are around you.
The only person in your life that will know you forever is yourself, but your image will stick with the people you meet for as long as their memory holds on to you.
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