I try not to dwell on the past, although I am not always successful. To obsess over scoring the winning touchdown in the high school state championship game or winning the hot dog eating contest at the state fair can be exhausting and depressing. Just to be clear I did not participate in either of those activities.

I do, however, believe it’s okay to acknowledge the past while realizing things and people change. If you’re like me, you’ve aged. Sorry to be the spoiler, but aging is part of living. We can no longer be the people we once were. We’re smarter, wiser, calmer and in most cases we move a bit slower.

So what am I getting at? I’m not 100% sure, but hear me out. When I’m out exploring I will often find a spot to sit. I’ll make up short stories about who came to this spot before me. How many people have been here and what was their life like when they visited. Did they come to this spot for a vacation? Did they take refuge here while trying to survive? Where they alone? In a group? With family?

Our past experiences have made us who we are today. To dwell on our our past experiences is a fleeting attempt at trying to change what we’ve become. Gloating about who we were does not change who we are.

There comes a time when we need to move on. A time to enjoy who and where we are so that the stories written by a future explorers will end well.

Who Came Before Me?