Memories

I was startled once when a hedonistic friend justified spending himself into bankruptcy by saying, "The memories I bought with that money were worth it." He was one of the most anxious and unhappy people I have ever met. But he sure did have memories. Memories of lawyers, memories of dunning notices and memories of nice living situations he could no longer afford. 

Nostalgia can be a symptom of significant depression. Elderly people lapse into nostalgic fogs when left to isolation and lack of new learning. I remember my father, who suffered from depression and a subsequent head injury. He sought comfort by sitting in front of hours and hours of movies on television. These were movies made when he was young. It was often difficult to drag his attention into the room where he was sitting.

The value of personal history is not a replay of the minutia of its memories. The value of a personal history lies in the essential lessons of that history put into daily practice. Running through life as though it were a supermarket of memorable experiences is just a form of hoarding. Savoring whatever experiences occur to extract their lessons is wisdom.