Memory and Moments

The human brain is both a fascinating and haunting thing; we have the ability to vividly remember things, we can create emotional attachment to memories and moments.  This can also cause us to forget/repress memories and moments that cause us great pain. This reflex is fascinating. Every place I go and sit and watch, I try to create a visual and emotional snapshot of that moment. These moments are a large part of what defines us. We really are a sum of our experiences and will draw on the memories and emotions created out of such moments. But what happens when these imprinted memories also cause us great sadness and haunt us?

Everyone with even a small understanding of themselves and their emotions are seeking that perfect moment, where time has stopped and they are one with it. An athlete would define this as being in the zone; others would simply say it felt like everything just paused. These memories, these emotions, imprint on us more than anything. There isn't an athlete I know of that cannot describe that perfect zone moment when they could do no wrong. 

Life can be a finicky existence with everything we go through - our experience, our emotions, the moments we live and those events - becomes part of us, for better or for worse. They can make us sad or happy: everything we go through or could have hoped to go through becomes who we are. Those with vivid memories that understand their emotions can relive them, but at the same time have no control over them. I believe this is both a gift and a curse.

At times we wish we can let go of our past, forget that is was our past and just move forward to new memories. Release our pain and create ourselves anew out of the ashes. But the more you look at that the more you realise it’s that desire to forget that defines who we are and what moments and memories we look to create. A gift and a curse, borne to remember, wishing to forget, we are greater than the sum of our lives but only if we embrace where we came from.