01.07.06
"Take a picture, it'll last longer". I have often heard this line being recited on the television, be it in movies, dramas, or even cartoons. What this line basically means is that a photograph of an event would last longer, it would even last a lifetime. However, as we all know that as we age, our memory tends to fail us. No doubt this is true, there might even be scientific proof on it, but to me, there are three things in life that we should always remember to hold on to and never to give up on. They are hope, faith, and memories.
Many people have both hope and faith to keep them going in life but only a handful remembers to keep their memories. What exactly are memories? Some say that memories are the thoughts we have inside out heads, the time we spent in the past doing all sorts of things. Some also say that memories are the moments spent in our lives that are worth remembering. No one knows what the exact definition of 'memories' is, not counting the ones found in dictionaries. Amongst the many interpretations, I like to believe that there are two types of memories - memories kept in the mind and memories kept in the heart.
Putting it in my own words, memories kept in the mind are the more physical memories. A few examples of events that fall under this class would be school life, birthdays, camps, and even accidents. All these events are pretty general. Of course each and every one of them has had an impact on one's life. To illustrate this, the memories of school life would be more fresh in the mind of a young college student. He or she would be able to remember how life was back in secondary school, or even his or her first day way back in primary school. The point here is that memories kept in the mind are more of activities, ups and downs, or the learning experiences that one used to go through.
On the other hand, memories kept in the heart are more emotionally-tied. Some of the personal things in life such as anniversaries, family and friends, or to group them all together, our loved ones would most probably be part of the memories kept in the heart. These are the type of memories that we never want to lose, the kind that we would want to remember for the rest of our lives. Why is this so? It is human nature for someone to never want to be lonely, no matter how shy or quiet they may seem. There will be days when one is all alone, with no companions by one's side. This is the time when they will take out memories tucked away in their hearts, because just knowing and just remembering all they have gone through in life, plus the people they have gone through it with, the loneliness that was once there is no longer a disturbance to their lives.
One similarity that both memories from the mind and memories from the heart share is that they can be conjured up by our six senses. Going back to the line "Take a picture, it'll last longer", whenever we see a photograph of an event from the past, memories will start to flood our thoughts. The mixed emotions run through our veins. Similarly, say after ten years leaving high school you meet an old friend. The very first thing that would definitely come to mind would be the good old days back then. Furthermore, even the simple smell of sambal belacan might remind you of the times you used to live with your grandmother in the village in Muar. It is amazing how our senses manage to aid us in keeping our memories alive.
Unfortunately, there are some people who might think that there is no point in keeping our memories alive. "The past is the past. Let it go". They are wrong. By having our memories close to us, we are able to remember the mistakes we made in the past, the lessons we learnt from the past. Keeping us in line in life, our memories are just like a guidebook with no page numbers. It is capable of being real flexible, and at the same time provides us with all that we need. Armed with memories of the past, we would less likely make the same mistakes and not go down the wrong road again.
'The past', 'old times', 'experiences', 'life', and 'moments' are all words associated with the word 'memories'. We are only human. We only live our life on this planet once. Therefore, we should be living life to its fullest, with no regrets whatsoever. As stated earlier, as we age, our memory tends to fail us. Hence, the memories that we have with us today, both the memories kept in the mind as well as the memories kept in the heart should be something we appreciate. They should keep us going on in life. They should be remembered. They should be treasured. They should be cherished, for at the end of the day, our memories may be all we have to live by.
Just for you, li (:
