The past is not set in stone

I am currently reading onThe Tainted Cuponresearch branch book.

Think “Sherlock Holmes is in Westeros.”

The main character has this enhancement that allows him to know everything about the crime scene, and replay the events afterwards.

I remember the horror Black Mirror A related issue: the ability to remember all the details of any past interaction.

Here’s the thing: in both cases, the facts may be true, but the analysis of these facts still leaves a lot of room for change.

I thought about this recently when I came across two stories that I want to share:

“onThe past is not trueon“From Derek Sivers:

When I was 17 years old, I was driving recklessly and crashed into an oncoming car. I realized that I had broken the other driver’s back, and he would never walk again.

I carried that burden everywhere, and I felt so bad about it for so many years that at the age of 35 I decided to find this woman to apologize. I got his name and address, went to his house, knocked on the door, and a middle-aged woman answered. As soon as I said, “I’m the teenager who hit your car eighteen years ago and broke my back”, I started to cry – a big cry, the cry of years of regret.

He was very sweet, and he hugged me and said, “Oh sweetie, sweetie! Don’t worry. I’m fine!” Then he took me into his living room. He walked away.

Turns out I didn’t understand it.

Yes, he broke his spine but it didn’t stop him from walking. He said that “little accident” helped him take better care of his health, and since then he has been healthier than ever.

So he apologized for causing the accident in the first place. He apologized.

And this onthe story of “the good ole days”on from author Morgan Housel:

A few months ago I reminded my wife about what life was like in her early 20s). We were 23, gainfully employed, living in our own version of the Taj Mahal. This was in front of the kids, so we would sleep in until 10am on the weekends, go for a walk, have brunch, sleep, and go out to eat. That was our life. For many years.

“That was the high life, as good as it gets,” I told him.

“What are you talking about?” he said. You were worried, scared, and probably more depressed than ever.

…In my head, today, I look back and think, “I must have been very happy then. Those were my best years.”

But the truth is that at that time I kept thinking: “I can’t wait for these years to end.”

It makes me think about our past, and our future. It seems that no one is set in stone!

What Old Story Would You Rewrite?

As the cliche goes, it’s easier to connect the dots looking back than it is to look forward.

Is there a story from the past about a certain time that you still have?

Maybe it’s one full of shame about something that happened, but it led to something better for you.

Maybe I’m longing for a past life that never existed.

The past happened in the past, but that doesn’t mean it’s set in stone!

Back to Sivers:

“You can change your profile.

Virtual reality is only a small part of it. Everything else is observational, open to interpretation.

The past has not happened.”

I want to know what story you tell yourself from the past, good or bad, that you think you should write again?

-Steve

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