Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania (Jonas Mekas, 1972) song: debussy - clair de lune
Video from I'm a Cyborg But That's Ok
“As I was Moving Ahead Occasionally Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty”
Director Jonas Mekas provides an intimate glimpse of his personal life by constructing a feature length narrative from over 30 years of private home movie footage.
Old photos, keepsakes and artifacts that tie us to our past, an event or moment in time. We all have them, and we are loath to part with them. I have mine from my youth. Recently after my mother’s death I received 5 or so albums of old photos of family members from back in the 1920’s -1960’s. Although I could remember some people and some events much was lost to me. We get nostalgic and sometimes sad as we look back. Our life is brief and goes fast and the end of our lives on this earth is closer than we know. The past is unlivable, it is gone. Right now, in the present the past is taking birth. Memories are being made.
The Golden moments of life are not all in the past.
As we get older, we have a sense within us of how things used to be and we find within us a constellation of feelings, thoughts, remembrances, and nostalgia about the people, places, events, and values that have shaped us.
Providence, not happenstance, gets the first and last word in global, national, and personal events. There’s no panic in heaven, only peace—no lapse in your memory, just the perfection of your timing. You are working in all things for our good, and God’s glory.
A certain smell evokes a specific moment of the past. A day with your parents in the flower market returns to your memory when you notice the smell of fresh flowers, or when a perfume reminds you of a person remarkably close to you in the past. Remembering everything is impossible since our memory does not work like an infinite video camera or a computer.
A lot of fantastic memories of our life, especially of our childhood, are being buried deep in our memory and, over time, we must discern whether it is a real experience, or an imaginary one.
Photos are our best resource, and are gold for our children. If we were fortunate enough to have parents who are fond of photography (like mine), and we have been somewhat organized ourselves, it is possible that we will have an invaluable treasure called photo albums sitting on a shelf or in a box. Get together with your family members, look at the old photos and smile, discuss and yes even cry.
Most of the memories we have of our childhood come from photographs, and the same happens with moments that have provided us enjoyment throughout our youth and adulthood that, although perceived as important at the time, they tend to get blurry and fade away. Do you remember all the barbecues or picnics with your friends? Every exam you have passed or failed?
Perhaps someday in the far flung future of eternity God will allow us access to all our memories or perhaps they will be readily accessible to us once we die and reach our Lord’s presence.
Until then its ok to remember!