Opinion Columnist
People always say, “Forget the past, live in the present and hope for the future,” or something to that effect.
I couldn’t disagree more.
Let’s address the first part of that life-halting quote. The past, whether or not we enjoyed it, still happened. While we may want to forget about painful life events—ex-lovers, the awkward embarrassing moments in high school or even the loss of a loved one—we must periodically revisit those memories to remind us of where we are going.
The demons of our past mold the beings we are today, and we must pay tribute to, or at least acknowledge the significance of, our past.
As Walter Scott once said, “Look back, and smile on perils past.”
Realize that we cannot change the negatives of our past. We can only use them to create positives.
Now, living in the present is a good idea. It is important to enjoy the moment and realize what is going on around us while comprehending the past is part of the reason we are in this moment.
It is also important, however, not to discard the future while being stuck in the present. If we live too long with what is at our feet, we’ll end up living on a street corner with no money and no extra underwear. Ralph Waldo Emerson said life is a journey, not a destination. But a journey is pointless if there is no destination to journey toward.
Personally, I’d like to have some extra underwear and a roof over my head, which is why we must do more than simply hope for the future. We must create the future, set goals and strive for something. Create a journey throughout life by adventuring toward something better.
Improving is part of living a full and successful life. If we only hope for our dreams to come true, well, they won’t. Our dreams will hover around, making fun of us for wearing dirty underwear. Kick that agenda can down the highway while enjoying the view and remembering how you got to the highway.
In one of the greatest films ever produced, Caddyshack, Chevy Chase plays Tie Webb, a rich golfer who decides to give life advice to his young caddy, Danny Noonan. Webb proceeds to tell Noonan: “Danny, see your future, be your future…ma-, make, make it. Make your future, Danny…”
While the line was meant to be funny, it holds great weight. If you are stuck looking at the present, you will have no future.
With that, I say, “Learn from your past, Danny. Enjoy the present, but cre-, create, create it. Create your future, Danny.”
scschroc@mavs.coloradomesa.edu
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