Friday, August 8, 2008

The Good Times Are Killing Me

We are caught in an unavoidable trap of romanticized recollection of the past and optimistic hopes for the future. An onslaught of songs have told us to enjoy the day. We were not made to live in the present. We live in the past and future.

It's almost impossible to compete with other times. Real life can never live up to our selective memories. When I think back to high school I don't usually remember sitting in calculus class for two hours, slowly bobbing my head as the teacher droned on about integrals. I remember shooting water balloons at the gym class and getting caught sneaking off campus. Overall it feels like high school was just one extremely fun filled week. In reality it was a four year stay at a cesspool of insecurity and boredom.

The future is just as bad. I see all these dreams off in the distance and say, "Just wait until I get there, then everything will be great". When I get there, I will take a look from where I came and wish I had never left.

I do have fun and I'm happy with the time I'm in, but I always have to fight off my past and future selves, mocking me while I sit at work on another long day.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

It sounds like you need to make some changes in your present day-to-day life. :)

JQ said...

Not necessarily, Anonymous.

I think NTG's just made another accurate sweeping generalization about the human condition. I think most of us (to some degree) look back on the "good 'ol days" with a warm sense of nostalgia, while keeping our hopes alive for a brighter future. The reality of the present can hardly compare to such lofty figments of our imagination.

The important thing is to learn to be content wherever you are in life (Php 4:11); not stagnant, just content.

Anonymous said...

10 But I rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at length ye have revived your thought for me; wherein ye did indeed take thought, but ye lacked opportunity.

Mene Tekel said...

You're right that things seem more exciting then they really are and going back would not be the same. So I feel a little better about my present disposition. My life rocks now, and I hope the future is even greater. Thanks, NTG.