The past is never dead, it is not even past
Yesterday morning when I got to work, I turned the desk calendar page to the date: December 7, and realized it was Pearl Harbor Day. And then I read the day’s calendar quote…
“The past is never dead, it is not even past.” ~William FaulknerWhat a strange quote for Pearl Harbor Day. I thought.
And then I read online about
survivors who were attending Pearl Harbor ceremonies for possibly the last time. Pearl Harbor survivors are now in their 80’s and 90’s and the generation is passing on…
The past is not dead to the Pearl Harbor survivors. I thought.
I wonder if Pearl Harbor will be remembered once the generation that remembers it intimately is gone?
I won’t even attempt to argue politics or the war in Iraq; but I wonder why after 9/11 people don’t support the war in Iraq and the war against terrorism yet after Pearl Harbor this country joined World War II and dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
Many of you will argue the two circumstances are different. Are they? I don’t know. But I wonder… have we learned anything from the past?
The past is never dead, it is not even past… I thought about that quote all day yesterday and today.
There are things in my past I wish I could go back and do differently. But my past is what made me the woman I am today… stronger, more independent, and cautious where my heart is concerned. In trying to understand who I am, I have to look at the
choices I’ve made over the years,
past lives and
past relationships. My memory sometimes
slides a bit. Moments in my past are sometimes forgotten. Only to be remembered again as
people from my past keep showing up to
remind me that the past is never dead, it is not even past.
There are memorials at Pearl Harbor. I’ve seen them. Places to gather, to grieve, and to celebrate. It makes me wonder if we build emotional memorials to our past, to celebrate our past, keeping our past from dying, keeping our past in the present where its comfortable to wear like a favorite faded t-shirt.
My Photos...
i think that's an appropriate quote for pearl harbor day and any day for that matter. i absolutely agree with it.
the past never is dead. it just sits there in the back of our minds... alive and ready to present itself whenever it pleases... whether positive or negative... it's alive and everyday molds us into the people we are.
lovely post, darling!
We weren't attacked by Iraq.
Pearl Harbor Day will always be special to me ... I'm a military brat and also it's my birthday. People call me the disaster baby, the chaos child, etc.
I don't know who said this, but we've all heard it; "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." This is one of the purposes served by memorials. We gotta learn from our mistakes or we will keep making them over and over.
I think about this, every year when the good old seventh of December rolls around. Some people are upset for me that such a sad day is my birthday, but I'm glad for it. I feel like part of the circle ... death, and life ... and learning from the past and hopefully making the future better. I won't ever forget as long as I live, even though I wasn't even there ... and that's gotta be a good thing for sure.
Great article, Matildakay. And great comment, chingpea. I can't add to this anything worthy of reading. I just wanted to say I loved it.
I'm staying out of this one.
Although I will say that whether there is a war in Iraq or in Tibet, there is still a war on terror that can never be ignored. Theatreaddict is trying to bait you with straight up sympathy for Iraq. That wasn't the point. Most people do sympathize with Iraq. The point is 9/11 occurred and you're wondering if the people involved in any of the traumatic results... He's wrong for his baiting comment. With that said, I still love Aaron.
Beware of political statements!
I think the biggest war we are battling is apathy, lack of positive passion and hatred.... all among us every day.
Remember the movie "Pearl Harbor"? I couldnt' watch parts of it... I kept saying "Can't people see? The enemy is apathy!" What was it, six months later? 9/11 happened and now... so many people are back to sleep....