On New Years

Yesterday, while stranded on Route 3, I found myself thinking of the damnedest things...standing in a snow squall next to a broken down car will do that....

We are the sum total of of memories and experiences. More than almost anything else, even more than our genes, our memories and experiences define who we are. They shape us, mold us, bend us, and they inform and shape our decisions.

As creatures of free will we have the power to make choices about ourselves, how we live our lives, and who we choose to be our friends. At best...our experiences help us make decisions...at worst...we reflexively follow our experiences and fall into patterns of behavior that condemn us to falling into the same traps and snares time after time. The past can be prologue if we are not careful.

On New Years its natural for people to reassess and reconsider, to look back and look forward. This is what we seem to do. We are the sum total of our memories and experiences...the trick is...I have decided...is to avoid becoming ensnared by them.