As I age it's becoming clear to me that we love to think about the past as better than anything else in the present. I suppose it's because most tend to remember only the good things and forget the bad. Or, perhaps it's because we don't like the changes we see. Or, because we long for the simpler times when we were young and didn't have all the stresses of adult life. Perhaps it's all of that.
I think this quality of life is the reason we enjoy fiction so much. It's great to escape into a fantasy that's thrilling and full of adventure. I know that's why I like it so much. I'm a technology super-nerd, but I find that I relish sitting alone with a book far more than playing the next realistically rendered action adventure video game. Maybe it's because I'm spending most of my free time writing, and I'm sure that's a big part, but I also think it's due to the pervasive noise of "things" going on all the time. I'm reminded of a short story by Ray Bradbury called "The Murderer." In it the main character has destroyed his electronics so he can have peace and quiet, yet this is considered so abnormal that he is locked up. It's a great story and certainly applies to our modern days even more than it did when it was written.
Main, I think we love looking back and remembering what we've done and the joys we've experienced. Sure, it's easy to remember fondly what we've already enjoyed. The difficulty is looking to the future with the same starry-eyed wonder and making it come true. I encourage everyone to have the same curiosity as children, and the same expectations of greatness as a new mother for her children. We need that optimism now more than ever. Build something greater than you remember. It's worthwhile don't you think?
- M
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