Etched in Time

Do you remember that? I mused…

Is that truly the same scent? I wished…

Is that really the same song? I wondered…

Am I reliving this moment? I hoped…

It just took a second, and now I’m here. A single second to engrave this memory in my mind forever. How obscure!? How should I feel about this? Vulnerable or; powerful? I guess that’s the beauty of it all — not knowing — and yet, that’s engraved forever.

Is that really how it happens? I’m afraid to say it, but yes. Is that biology? Is that what we are meant to do in order to survive? As far as I’m concerned — I am positive! That’s how our ancestors endured through generations, and that’s how we continue to evolve and build society. Memories are a survival tool — they help us remember and thrive in the face of danger, keep our distance from peculiar individuals, avoid falling in love with the same type of partner who once hurt us, and avoid repeating past mistakes. I wish it were that simple; but the truth is — it isn’t. People are different, and the way they process their memories varies from one person to another. This diversity shapes not only human survival but also creativity. Many think, many create, many assess…how beautiful is that? I wish I could grasp it all — know it all. Then, maybe, I’d be enough.

Put it all together — now isolate the few that truly make a difference. “Which few?”, you ask! I think you will understand when you reach that point. The few that kept you awake at night when they happened. The few that changed the course of your life. The few that made your heart skip a beat. The few you still crave — or resent — even decades later. And it’s not universal. It could be anything. Don’t you remember? Of course you do. That’s why we’re here — because they still matter.

Do you remember the moment you met her? The first time you caught the scent of her perfume? Do you recall when she told you she was pregnant? When she looked at you and said, “I love you”? The moment you saw your child for the first time after they were born? Or that evening — long ago — when she hugged you — and in that instant, you knew — you would never forget? That evening….oh, that evening...God, that evening…how could you ever forget?

"God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December" as James M. Barrie once said.

Should I dream then? Perhaps that is the point! You keep a memory alive, reliving it again and again until you can face reality. Isn't that true? You miss a loved one. You miss being young, playing with your friends. You miss your girlfriend. You miss the car you had when you were 20. You miss being healthy again and feel relentless. But does it really matter that you don’t have roses? You can have roses in any December you choose — just create them, dream of them, remember them. Recall their scent, their feel, their color. Relive the moment — and they will be there!

I was once told that memories have the power to bring a past moment back to life. Just think about it — the moment you once lived… that moment… that exact experience! Now, you have the chance to embrace it and relive all the emotions. Would you? Would you dare? Would you “travel” back, even for just a second, to “meet” that moment? What a superpower. But what if I told you that bad memories can return as well — unfortunately!? Yet, is remembering such moments always bad? Can they truly hurt you? Practically, no. Fortunately, no. They may haunt your mind, resurfacing in ways that unsettle you, but they cannot physically harm you. Bring them back and face them — because now, they can no longer hold power over you.

Do you ever do that? Do you ever try to control such memories? I do, and I can tell you — it doesn’t feel good. I summon them, and I try to “play” with them in order to confront my fears — but “play” with them? More often than not, I lose control, and they end up “playing” with me. Indeed, they “play” — slowly, silently torturing me — until I find the courage to face them head-on. Until I learn to see through them — not just the painful stops along the way, but the final destination beyond them.

“You never know when you're making a memory.” — Rickie Lee Jones;

It sneaks up on you, a quiet moment hidden in the noise. A laugh, a glance, a scent — etched into memory without warning, silent and lasting, as if it had always been there. Like a breeze brushing through your light spring jacket, you don’t even notice it until it’s already settled, lingering in the warmth of your heart. You don't realize it until later, the "later" you thought would never come. You look back and discover how much it mattered, how much you missed it or resented it. Then, you snap back to reality and realize that sometimes, the smallest moments leave the biggest marks!

“Memory... is the diary that we all carry about with us” - Oscar Wilde

Will I linger in your memory? I mused…

Is this but a fading dream? I wished…

How long before time carries this away? I wondered…

Will these memories remain etched in time? I hoped…