Let Us Not Forget, What Has Made Us Great
Have you ever pondered how wonderful it is that you don’t remember everything that has happened in your life? Sounds odd, doesn’t it, but imagine if every single event, every trauma, every joke, every time you skinned a knee, every rejection and every joy, every tear and every laugh, were vivid and active in your memory, every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every month of every year, and on and on. Sounds pretty overwhelming, doesn’t it. Now, I realize that some memory loss is unwanted, coming from growing old, dementia, and various illnesses and diseases. Those types of memory loses come unwelcomed and unexpected. We try to delay these loses as long as possible, through nutrition, exercise, vitamins, and other various attempts to slow the aging process down. Funny how we as humans so often desire to not be human, to be as gods, attempting to avoid the inevitable humanness of physical aging and death.
And then there is memory loss that occurs throughout the generations. Being born close to 50 years ago, my memories of history and the events that shaped my history are vivid in my mind. Those younger than I have a different historical perspective, as I might have different historical perspectives than those older than me. Stories of the conflicts of war, from WWI, WWII, and Korea were shared with me by my elders, creating a sense of pride in who we are as a nation. Memories of Vietnam, watching the news bring the war into our living rooms (however, not as invading as today), caused curiosity and fear, boys in my community going to war, a nation changing and viewing soldiers differently. Conflicts in jungles, deserts, places across the waters in another world only know to me through books, news, and movies. The memories that have shaped my own pride in my country, in my veterans, in those who have given me the freedom I so enjoy, and often take for granted.
The memories of who we are and where we’ve been, the stories of our lives and our cultures, changed and modified, to help us forget, to make us believe something different, to create a better us. My Aunt told me once, “We lost our spirit”, telling me how the American Indian lost who they were, their identity, regaining it back in the 70’s. So many other cultures tell the same story, of losing their spirit, of assimilation, regaining their spirits through reliving the stories and reclaiming their heritage. It’s ironic that the stories I often chose to ignore of my father are the stories I so wish I could hear today, the wisdom of the elders that we so often decide we are wiser than, that if we do not heed a listening ear, will be lost forever.
We as Americans can so easily assimilate into a national identity as well, losing who we are, what we have accomplished, the roads our ancestors’ traveled and the freedoms they have won for us, and for generations to come. We as individuals can choose to forget the stories of who we are, who our parents were, who our grandparents and so on were, who we were destined to become, recreating some mythical fantasty of some idealogical desire, losing our pride through blame and shame. Recalling all memories is not healthy, and forgetting memories of who we are and the struggles we have endured that have brought us to who are is equally unhealthy.
The memories of 9/11, the wars of the past, and the veterans who have cleared the way of our freedom, should never be minimized and never be forgotten. I encourage you, my friend and reader, to know your story, to share it with your children, with the youth of today, and remember who you are, who God has destined you to be. And if your life is not of a reflection of God’s greatness, seek help through safe and healthy friends, family, clergy, and therapists, to become who God has designed you to be. Don’t forget your story, and don’t allow the culture, schools, family, or anything or anyone else to change your story. Denial of our history will only bring us defeat; knowing our story, good and bad, will set our feet in a solid foundation of Godly direction and purpose, letting go of the pain that needs no longer be. Know your story, and tell it often.
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