[This Post is written by my 16-year-old daughter, Jennifer, whose beautiful spirit never ceases to awe and inspire me. Enjoy!!]
It has been said that, “A man’s actions are his only true belonging.” Does this mean that one’s past defines one? Undoubtedly, the future can be changed by past and present decisions and actions, but is that what defines mankind? Should humanity be determined by past actions? Why does history so often repeat itself? And with all variables considered, can this cycle be stopped, if needed?
The ties from the past to the present are obvious and strong. Today would not be what it is if yesterday wasn’t what it was. But “living” in the past may give no freedom for the present. “You can clutch to the past so tightly that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present.” (Jan Glidewell) Yesterday’s slip-ups paved the ways for today’s successes. Mistakes are beneficial and successes are to be reminisced, but today mistakes will be made, the same as yesterday. The past leaks into today, creating a blur of time. What makes yesterday so different from today? Imagine: One learns every lesson one should, but never puts them into practice. What then is one truly learning? “The past is not dead. In fact, it is not even the past.” (William Faulkner)
As a society, people worry constantly about the future (especially women). “The future is not a result of choices among alternative paths offered by the present, but a place that is created – created first in the mind and will, created next in activity. The future is not some place we are going to, but one we are creating.” (John Schaar) When dreaming about the future, once always wonders how to transport oneself to their version of a perfect life. Holding on to hope of a better tomorrow drives people to make their decisions. Whether it drives one to success or to insanity is based solely on their personal situation. “When it comes to the future, there are three kinds of people: those who let it happen, those who make it happen, and those who wonder what happened.” (John M. Richardson, Jr.) Newton’s third law of motion states that “Every action has an equal but opposite reaction.” This law was made in the name of physics, but it also applies to life outside of the science lab. For every decision made, every chance taken, there is another. The same way a ball hits a pendulum and sends an opposite ball flying off at the same speed, the exploit of one man could easily make up the mind of another. With everything in the universe constantly moving, a thousand things at a time could help steer one through a decision. The trick is to lay down the concrete for oneself in the right direction.
When thinking of the future, the past must come into consideration, but not used to predict. If one tries to “drive a car by looking in the rearview mirror” (anonymous author), they won’t ever know where to turn correctly and will eventually crash. The only way this plan would work is if the conditions remained constant. This idea can be applied to looking toward the future based on the past. With so many actions and reactions in the world, there is no way that one’s situation will remain the same for long. The same as snowflakes, no two points in time are the same. Don’t make the mistake in believing that they ever are.
Being an unfortunate relief, the past is gone. Tomorrow is not here yet and who knows when it will be. These are truths that one comes to know early in life. People learn to take life one day at a time, the way they should. Though some dwell in the past, and some become obsessed with the future, mankind as a whole knows that today is the only day that matters. Everyone needs to let go of their constraints and inhibitions, and let the future unwind itself. Don’t focus on it too much; have faith that things will work out if you let them. People should be defined by who they are, not what they do, but should not be afraid to let the two combine. If someone doesn’t like the path they are on, it takes a few simple steps to find a new one, the hardest part of switching tracks, is letting go of old ones.
Jennifer Jackson