Memories are so compelling

We often have mental images — thoughts — that just run amok. We are happy, sad, frustrated, and anxious, almost as quickly as I write. It soon becomes self-evident that I must control this mind, this collection of images. We are always somewhat puzzled by beings who cannot control some memory of the past. It is as if they are on some interminable loop of pain. They endlessly convey the past to the present.

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Don’t be afraid to breathe

Fear: When I was a little boy, living in my tiny, isolated village, I was afraid of the outside world. It appeared to be an enormous hydra lurking just beyond the Pillars of Hercules (1) ready to emasculate and devour any who chanced to cross into its forbidden territory. The long and dusty road (at the time a three-hour trip) that took us to the next community was a grueling effort.

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Your most intimate and yet enigmatic friend

The other day, I had quite a shocking experience. I entered the bathroom to “jump in the shower” and was startled to realize that I was not alone: an old man was also with me. I say this, of course, ”tongue in cheek.” Still, I think it is the same for most people; life unfolds like the weaving of a tapestry or the creation of a painting. It is there to be remarked on, its various points remembered (pleasantly or not), but it is lived day by day, piece by piece. Few experience a traumatic experience that changes us forever.

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