I spent some time with some old friends last night. And by old friends, I mean friends I haven't seen or hardly even talked to since graduating high school almost four years ago. And by friends, I guess I should say acquaintences. People that were once a part of my life, who knew my secrets, and who for some reason, I still feel the obligatory need to stay connected. Regardless of the fact that I have no idea where my path will take me in six months, I still have yet to completely cut out the people in my life who do nothing to benefit my life.
The more time I spent with these "friends," the more I remembered why I kept my distance over the years. Even when we had been in contact, I still tried to separate myself from them. It's hard to believe that all this time away from the pettiness of high school did nothing to help them grow out of their shallow, self-absorbed habits. I sat quietly most of the night, observing and hoping that I had never and would never be completely a part of their world.
What is it about us that makes us cling to the past? It's like pulling out an old shoebox full of ticket stubs, photographs, and notes...we hid them away for a reason, but upon seeing them again after a long period of time, we are filled with a sense of nostalgia. We long for the time when these items meant something to us, made us happy, and even though we know that our present is better without them, we still occasionally hope to go back in time.
This year, as I pack away and sort out my things for my life after college, I think it is also time to stash away the people that don't need to be there. Selfish friends, old loves, and insignificant grudges. It's time to empty the shoebox in order to make room for the important memories waiting to fill it.
"The world is full of people whose notion of a satisfactory future is, in fact, a return to the idealized past."
-Robertson Davies
No comments:
Post a Comment