The View from a Drawbridge

Tag: past

  • The Past Isn’t Going Anywhere

    I heard that somewhere recently and it really struck a chord in me. I know so many people who dwell in the past. They’re bitter about unresolved issues with people, or they’re longing for better times, or they are using the past as a convenient excuse not to move forward, or they are just exercising…

  • Continuity

    I read something recently that I found very comforting. The same sunrise/sunset has been circling the globe for millions of years. Mind officially blown. I love the idea that my sunset is someone else’s sunrise. It gives me a sense of connection with the wider world. It links me to all of time, past, present…

  • Facing Forward

    I’m on the brink of amazing change, and it all stemmed from a giraffe. You just never know when a figurative cue ball will send your eight ball careening off in an entirely different direction. That’s what makes life so exciting. I have been watching April the Giraffe’s live feed on Youtube since February. I…

  • Plan “Be”

    I can’t remember where I read about this concept, but it appeals to me greatly. Just be. Live in the now. Don’t dwell on the past or worry about the future. Pure bliss. It’s not as easy as it looks, though. For example, I’m in the midst of planning my vacations for the year. Obviously,…

  • Scarecrow Village, Japan

    In a world where overpopulation becomes a greater concern with each passing day, Japan seems to be having the opposite problem. As their average age rapidly increases and their birthrate falls, it is estimated that by the year 2060 there will be 40 million fewer people in Japan than there are today. This is most…

  • Shame, in Retrospect

    I know a few people who are embarrassed about the way they lived in the past. Conservatives who once were hippies (Personally, I don’t see the shame in being a hippy, but to each his own), peace activists who served in times of war, survivors of multiple marriages, former cult members who have since come…

  • Awkward

    It’s really strange when a spotlight gets shined on a portion of your past and everyone assumes that what was true then is true now. Are you the same person you were 30 years ago, or even 7 years ago? I’m here to tell you that I am not. Ever since my 2009 StoryCorps interview…

  • Time Capsules

    Just before I moved to Seattle, I drove over to the house I used to own in Florida to say goodbye to it. I almost drove past it without recognizing it, such were the number of improvements the current owner had made. That was kind of disconcerting. One of the things that he changed was…

  • Mindfulness

    According to Psychology Today, “Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention to the present. When you’re mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to experience.” I have to admit…

  • Kids Today

    I was eating an ear of corn the other day and it occurred to me that little kids probably no longer make typewriter sounds when they eat them as we used to do. They’ve probably never even heard a typewriter outside of the movies. They’ve also never had to keep spare change handy for the…