People carry around a whole lot.
Although I know the done thing is to say 'put the past behind you and move on!' (and many people, or at least most I know, say that’s what they do) To be honest, I’m not sure in reality, if anyone is ever really able to do so.
Experiences good and bad stay with us. Painful experiences at times tend to have the biggest impact as they’re the ones that really shake us, shape us, uproot and remould us. You may feel you’ve put something behind you, but given the right circumstances…the right triggers…that ‘thing’ you try so hard to ignore may reappear whether you like it or not!. The person standing before you, or the person you see every day, is a result of their history…their lived experience, but… mostly, they will try and hide it.
So in many ways.. it's a bit of an illusion.
Many will project an image, or persona, that will prevent you from truly seeing the real ‘them’. Which is okay... as it’s a defense mechanism, a protective tool…and to be fair, it’s wise, as it can be self destructive to let ‘just anybody’ into your trusted personal zone.
However, whilst the personal zone should be protected, it should never imprison.
It should never be a chain around your ankles, or noose around your neck. Should never( like a bungee cord) yank you back to the same spot anytime you try to move further away…try to grow. The past whilst ever present, should not prevent you from really living the future you really want. The future of your dreams
Many of us really are the walking wounded.
All baggage isn't carry on.
ReplyDeleteYeah we are who we are. Some of us attempt to hide our true selfs....but if you look hard enough, it's always there.
ReplyDeleteWe're all products of our environments and none of us would be the same if we grew up under different circumstances.
I thought alot about this today because this morning my 91 year old grandmother died. She was the last of my grandparents. Now that generation is gone for me. I spent most of the day reflecting on her life and mine. She lived a long fruitful life and she had a positive impact on my own life. She had a positive impact on many lives. We learn common decency from our grandparents. We learn civility and respect and a boatload of other things that we carry with us for the rest of our natural lives. I've sure she learned the same things from her grandmother.
She'd been alive since 1920 and she'd seen so much of our country's history....both good and bad.
She was a sweet old lady. I'm gonna really miss her.
Sorry to hear about your grandmother Reggie.
ReplyDeleteso experiences are so profound its impossible to forget. I've had very good "game changing" moments and some traumatic events i dare not admit even to myself - good or bad? I've never tested the boundaries.
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