I think I may have had a bit of a revelation today. I’ve spoken in the past of how I often find memories—even good ones—to be haunting. Interestingly, a thought hit me today even though I wasn’t thinking about this subject: maybe memories are meant to be shared. Let me explain. I’ve felt like I’ve lived a lot of lives. The reason is this: years ago I had a group of friends that I hang out with. We’d often hang out at one of the apartments a couple of the guys shared. We’d get together probably a couple of times a week or more, going to church and just hanging out. After a while though, a couple of people got married, a couple of people moved for work, and the group just generally dissolved. Some of those people I keep in loose contact with still, but they aren’t in my life and we’re not close as we used to be. And the thing is, I feel like I’ve been through this several times.
I think the reason I find these memories haunting is this: I may look back on the time fondly, but am saddened because it’s all in the past, including the people that the memories contain. However, I think memories are supposed to bring people together. For example, I was talking with my friend Ron tonight about a concert we went to six years ago. To me, that memory is good and not haunting, because Ron and I are still good friends, and a part of each other’s lives. I appreciate that memory because it is something that we share. In our culture where things are so transitory, I appreciate a friend such as Ron all the more, because of the longevity of our friendship and all the life that we’ve shared.
