Continuity. Without it, we're sunk. With it, we thrive.
Continuity is based upon memory, history.
Traumatic ruptures in our lives lead to fractures of our personal narratives. When our fractured life stories are missing whole chapters (either obscured or completely forgotten), we are captives of the present moment. This chronological captivity, devoid of beloved keepsakes and other time markers, is like landing on foreign turf without a suitcase or a map. We lack the customary tools of orientation and survival.
Thus resigned solely to the present moment without easy access (in words, memory, or both) to our past inspirations and motivations, we have little that is familiar to grab onto, and nothing to use as a steppingstone to the next chapter of our lives.
Even partial amnesia can lead us to "invent" new beginnings that are not rooted in our concrete personal histories, but which spring, instead, from misty visions of what we "think" we "should" do next.
One cannot dependably embark upon a new beginning, however, until he can harness his present reality -- however beautiful or ugly it may be -- to the visceral rhythms and textures of his past. This fusion of present and past is the essential spark that will propel him forward with significance. The present moment, alone, packs no such momentum.
We need the knowing, organic force of our own history behind us. The more smooth and fluid the narrative, the fewer missing chapters there are, the stronger this root of future motivation will be. Our personal history nurtures and animates who we are.
In the richness of our personal histories, in our memories, we are reminded most strongly of our "reason for being," of fresh wonder, curiosity, awe, of that which innately inspires and drives us.
We are creatures of Time, living in Time. Because we cannot see one Eternal moment, we are dependent upon all the clues that memory can give us in order to anchor ourselves firmly in Today, with secure bridges between past and present that we can easily traverse.
Without the gift of memory and the history that memory builds, these critical bridges collapse and we fall into the void of timelessness. We are not equipped for such a void.
We need the "tick tock" of a clock. We need the rhythm of routine. We need as many details as possible to remind us continually of who we are, why we want what we want, why we work, why we love, why we pray.
Let nothing and no one deprive us of our personal and collective histories. History is the backbone of our lives. In memory is our fuel and inspiration for the future.
Continuity is based upon memory, history.
Traumatic ruptures in our lives lead to fractures of our personal narratives. When our fractured life stories are missing whole chapters (either obscured or completely forgotten), we are captives of the present moment. This chronological captivity, devoid of beloved keepsakes and other time markers, is like landing on foreign turf without a suitcase or a map. We lack the customary tools of orientation and survival.
Thus resigned solely to the present moment without easy access (in words, memory, or both) to our past inspirations and motivations, we have little that is familiar to grab onto, and nothing to use as a steppingstone to the next chapter of our lives.
Even partial amnesia can lead us to "invent" new beginnings that are not rooted in our concrete personal histories, but which spring, instead, from misty visions of what we "think" we "should" do next.
One cannot dependably embark upon a new beginning, however, until he can harness his present reality -- however beautiful or ugly it may be -- to the visceral rhythms and textures of his past. This fusion of present and past is the essential spark that will propel him forward with significance. The present moment, alone, packs no such momentum.
We need the knowing, organic force of our own history behind us. The more smooth and fluid the narrative, the fewer missing chapters there are, the stronger this root of future motivation will be. Our personal history nurtures and animates who we are.
In the richness of our personal histories, in our memories, we are reminded most strongly of our "reason for being," of fresh wonder, curiosity, awe, of that which innately inspires and drives us.
We are creatures of Time, living in Time. Because we cannot see one Eternal moment, we are dependent upon all the clues that memory can give us in order to anchor ourselves firmly in Today, with secure bridges between past and present that we can easily traverse.
Without the gift of memory and the history that memory builds, these critical bridges collapse and we fall into the void of timelessness. We are not equipped for such a void.
We need the "tick tock" of a clock. We need the rhythm of routine. We need as many details as possible to remind us continually of who we are, why we want what we want, why we work, why we love, why we pray.
Let nothing and no one deprive us of our personal and collective histories. History is the backbone of our lives. In memory is our fuel and inspiration for the future.
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