Five Years by Corbett Barr
There will be an agreement in whatever variety of actions, so they be each honest and natural in their hour. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
What would you say to the person you were five years ago? What will you say to the person you’ll be in five years?
(Author: Corbett Barr)
So much has happened in the past month that I can’t even remember who I was or what I was doing 5 years ago. But even if I could, I wouldn’t tell myself anything. How can you become who you are supposed to be if warnings from the future keep you from making the mistakes you need to make to learn and grow? (This, for those of you who know me, is why I despise all movies about time travel.)
To the person I’ll be in five years – “Good lord, I hope all this was worth it!”
Good point about the past, and the annoyances of movie time-travel premises (although the BACK TO THE FUTURE films are still okay with me). In 1996 I wrote myself a note to open in ten years; I was able to keep it all those years, unbelievably, and did read it; a little awkward to encounter one's younger, more naive self, but maybe a good lesson, too, which is why I wrote another letter to open in, wow, just 5 years now. I think the only really useful thing about my original letter was that I asked a variation on your question, Noel: is it worth it? Am I doing what I want to be doing? Hard to say, but it's worth thinking about.
Posted by: Olivia V. Ambrogio | July 07, 2011 at 06:18 PM
Oh, Noël. Keep breathing and doing what you need to take care of yourself.
And yes, I do believe it will turn out to have been worth it. I really do.
Posted by: Kim | July 07, 2011 at 08:00 PM
Like Kim, I believe as well. I do not believe in preventing ourselves from experiencing heartbreak. Every little fold of pain is a page in the book of life and we come out stronger once we allow ourselves to feel everything, to grieve, to learn, to heal. There is a lot of love and learning in the next pages of your book. I just know it. In five years, we can re-read them and smile.
Posted by: Roxanne | July 09, 2011 at 11:07 AM
Oh I have seen such growth, and often it is not without pain and joy. this is a chapter in your book of life. just keep writing and reading it will get better (:
Posted by: Dragonfly | July 10, 2011 at 12:15 PM
@Olivia--I like your idea better. More like a time capsule than time travel. It makes me much less anxious!!
@Kim--I'm glad you think so!!
@Roxanne--You're so right, you can't avoid pain. It's a part of life; it touches on the opposite end of the circle from joy. Can't have one without the other.
@Dragonfly--You definitely have a first-row seat to it all! LOL :)
Posted by: Noel | July 10, 2011 at 04:07 PM