Post-it Note #21
September 9, 2009
(This post-it note is part of a series on how to lead a simple life even more simply – with pictures for those easily distracted by words.)
Today, I will dig up my past.
We’re experts at digging up everyone else’s past (ex lovers, bosses, high school flames), but today it’s an inside job.
Anyone who says digging up the past isn’t healthy hasn’t dug in the right places.
Today, get out your high school yearbooks. Your Bar Mitzvah videos. Your prom pictures. Relive the braces, the zits, the poofy hair, stirrup pants, shoulder pads, butterfly clips, starter jackets, leg warmers, goth makeup, wearing overalls with only one strap up.
Dig deeper.
Pull out your tattered copy of The Fountainhead, your comic books, the journals you said you’d never read again. The picture of you posing on your Pontiac Firebird in your leather bomber jacket you vowed to burn but still have.
Find the “ME” folder you have hidden on your Mac desktop. (Yes, that one. The one you’ve password protected).
Click it OPEN.
Pour over the first love letter you sent, your attempts at Shakespeare, your Kurt Cobain angst scribblings, the letter you wrote your parents saying you were running away to Italy with Enzo if they didn’t let you date him at least three months because that’s what Sarah’s parents did when she fell in love with Tony and they’re Catholic.
That is YOU. Then.
Today, you are taller, smarter, even more beautiful.
Just as tomorrow you will be even more so.
We all get stuck.
But as our past reminds us, we always move on.
This can’t be unhealthy. Thanks for sharing Brian!
I’m glad you mentioned the fountain head Brian it is one of my favorite books ever, i hope you don’t mean that it’s something that a person would only read when they’re young and naive. I think it’s great to go through old diaries – i did this a few years ago and couldn’t believe some of the stupid corny stuff i wrote. Anyway great post as usual
I agree with you! Digging up the past can be a good thing. I have kept a journal since I was 10 and I keep them all in a box. I pull them out to read now and then. They remind me how far I’ve come, amaze me, and of course make me laugh.
Enjoyed this one!
It is always great to look at the past to see how certain things come together.
To make changes and learn from mistakes.
And as you mentioned, remembering where you came from and realizing what is attainable, now that is inspiring! Of course it helps to have a CHEERLEADER encourage you, make you laugh and enjoy life. So, thanks Brian and CHEERUPNATION for doing just that!
@Faramarz re: the fountainhead No, not at all. I still thumb thru it from time to time. But I *do* laugh at some of my linear notes.
@Azure My point in writing this mostly was that it makes us take life less seriously…frees us up to see we should laugh with life, not keep a long face (though my face kinda is longish)
@Momsmaterial you always have such awesome comments. So when are you coming to cali again?
I was trying to tell my sister about your website and I blanked out for a minute and couldn’t remember what your website was called. Finally I said, “Well, its something about how the nations should be happy.” [don't worry, I did remember the correct website after that]
Interesting about this post today. I received a FACEBOOK invite from my older brother; we haven’t spoken in almost 8 years. I accepted the offer.
MM, that is AMAZING. Time coincidences are funny like that. You have to let me know how it goes…
Yay!
It’s really cool looking back on old photos of 10 or 15 years ago:) Was that really me? hehe
We’ve all changed and grown so much in our lives, sometimes its nice to look back on it and remind ourselves!
Thanks for the cool post Brian!
Enjoy the weekend!
D
I read an article earlier this week about trashing everything from your past that wouldn’t make you cry if you lost it. Not always sure it’s such a clear cut decision. I’m not sure I’d cry if I lost my letterman jacket or my box of high school memories, but I still can’t part with them.
Not exactly related, but reminded me of this. If I look at my past, I definitely see a completely different person. I’ve changed more in the past 10 years than most people change in a lifetime. But that’s a whole other story.
I didn’t have to dig too deep before I was giggling at just thinking about some of those memories. All the good, the bad and the ugly that is filed in my mental ‘What was I Thinking!?!’ folder.
Some favorite lyrics from Ellis Paul’s say it well–
Bless your sweet mistakes,
That crumble you down to your knees.
That brought you to this place
Changing you by degrees…
When change was just what you needed…
What you needed…
Yep, when change was just what I need even though sometimes I didn’t realize it! I thank God for all those sweet mistakes have allowed me to be happier, smarter, at peace and loving my life today.
@kate Thanks for such a cool comment. I love when people introduce me to quotes/books/artists I’ve never heard of…