Thought for the Week
Thirteen Years. That’s how long Marcel Proust spent writing and expanding his seven-volume autobiographical novel. He obsessed over getting every detail right, and leaving nothing out. Only no one would publish it. So he published it himself. And eventually it became one of the most influential novels of all time. Published in English as Remembrance of Things Past, its title À la recherche du temps perdu actually translates to In Search of Lost Time.
Aren’t we all? In search of lost time, that is? And why did Proust call it a novel, rather than an autobiography? Because, he said, he’d come to realize, “Remembrance of things past is not necessarily the remembrance of things as they were.”
I’ve been working on My Real Memoir for several years now, and striving to keep it as accurate as possible. Still, despite my best efforts, I’ve learned how true Proust’s words are.
And I’ve also learned something else: What matters most isn’t that I remember my past exactly as it occurred, but that in the process I discover what it means to me now. What, for good or for bad, has it made me? And how is that realization shaping who I am becoming?
So, yes, I may do a poor job of remembering my past. But what matters most is that I do a good job…
Remembering my future.
≅
“Our life is not our life, merely the story we have told about our life. Told to others, but—mainly—to ourselves.” ~Julian Barnes
“The past is beautiful because one never realizes an emotion at the time. It expands later, and thus we don’t have complete emotions about the present, only about the past.” ~Virginia Woolf
“Scars have the strange power to remind us that our past is real.” ~Cormac McCarthy
“I think it is all a matter of love. The more you love a memory the stronger and stronger it becomes” ~Vladimir Nabokov
“’It’s a poor sort of memory that only works backwards,’ said the White Queen to Alice.” ~Lewis Carroll
Remember your future well.
The only way, I’d get ever published it seems too, to me.
Brilliant, Mitch. I have written 300 pages of memoir and I get it. God bless your efforts and I wait eagerly for the final version.
Thanks, Bob. I look forward to reading yours as well.
The three memoirs are available at Amazon. From my home page in WordPress tap MENU and then tap LOOKING BACK FROM MY EIGHTH DECADE. My three memoirs and two novelettes with links to Amazon are available on that page. Thanks, Mitch.
Bob
Ah, gotcha, Bob. I thought you were referring to a new memoir volume you were working on. Thanks, my friend.
I am memoired out after the three publications.
;>)
We live and learn indeed and your ability to put it to ‘paper’ is admirable Mitch.
Thank you, Randy.
Researchers do say that memory is elastic, that we alter it slightly every time we recall it. I’ll be looking forward to your join when it’s published.
Thank you, and that is so true.
The past is the lens through which we evaluate the present. – Lisa Cron, Story Genius
This is an iconic quote-I love it! 🙂
Yes. And vice versa.
“What matters most isn’t that I remember my past exactly as it occurred, but that in the process I discover what it means to me now. “ this is everything Mitch. We can only ever process things in the present, memories are a product of the present mind not of the past mind which no longer exists. But I hadn’t really thought of it in exactly that way. Now I can’t stop thinking about it
So glad it spoke to you, Kate.
Much needed post, thanks
My pleasure, L.G.
I have a new instrumental release coming out at the end of the month called “Future Memories”. Every day we create new memories for the future.
That’s awesome, Kara.
I like this a lot, Mitch. It’s all so profound that it makes my head hurt, but it’s an amazing series of valuable thoughts/quotations in a relatively short post. Cheers!
Cheers back, Annie!
Remembering my future. I like that. You’re so right — what matters is the meaning it has for me, good or bad. Good stuff Mitch.
Thanks, Brian.
cora
i been praying for cora is she sick
love the Lewis Carroll quote– explains it perfectly! <3
“Remembrance of things past is not necessarily the remembrance of things as they were.”❤️
I do agree. I share the same thought.
“what it means to me now. What, for good or for bad, has it made me? And how is that realization shaping who I am becoming?”
Living a life well lived is one that we all ought to strive for. A well lived life is admirable and worth celebrating. It may be the one’s achievements warrant a memoir to provide encouragement, inspiration, or motivation to others. A monument if you will to a well lived life.
However, salient questions were asked, “what it means to me now?” and “who I am becoming?” When reflecting upon one’s life and perhaps facing the reality of one’s mortality, what does your past mean to you now? Do you think that you did all that and pat yourself on the back or do you give credit to Jesus Christ? Do you bask in the glory of notable personal achievements and perhaps have your life “immortalized” on the “Big Screen,” or do you give glory to the Lord Jesus Christ? If you leave the world a legacy via a book and perhaps a movie based upon your life, will it glorify the Lord Jesus Christ or bring Him glory?
When answering the question, “who I am becoming,” are you becoming more focused on yourself or focused on Jesus Christ and being transformed to conform to His image? Are you becoming a better disciple of Jesus Christ or are you becoming more of the world and at enmity with Him (e.g., James 4:4, 1 John 2:15)?
In the end, what matters is if you’re a Christian. If you’re not a Christian, all the fame, fortune, wealth, honor, etcetera won’t mean anything in Hell. Even if you erect a monument to yourself (e.g., memoir), if it doesn’t glorify or give glory to the Lord Jesus Christ then it’s of no real lasting value. So, the substantive question is, “Will it lead others to Jesus Christ or will it lead people to self-reliance and self-sufficiency which leads to destruction?”
Great post, Mitch! Our past molds who we are today and gives us a different perspective into our future! Love the quotes
Truly Inspiring
Thank you, Quantez.
Journals and books of remembrance are a good way to share your life with those you cherish, and it helps them to make better decisions in theor own lives…hopefully.
Blessings
I couldn’t agree more, Pete. And blessings to you, my friend.
Sir, by accepting Jesus Christ, you know and can be assured that you’ve lived your life well. I pray that you will continue in His grace and that you’ll be an inspiration to others to come to faith in Jesus Christ. All to the glory of God. In Christ, Brian ✝️🕊
https://biblehub.com/matthew/25-23.htm
https://biblehub.com/matthew/50-48.htm parable of joseph’s death
did he ever get those thirteen years back? 😉
⬻𓂀✧ ✬ღ☆ ∞ ♡ ∞ ☆ღ✬ ✧𓂀⤖