Over the past 6 weeks we have been mostly “driveway” camping. California and the Pacific Northwest is home to many friends and family whom we want to spend time with while here. Of course we add in a few stops for new exploration; a serendipitous day trip, a new national park or historical site - but mostly our time here is filled with seeing and catching up with loved ones. And what better thing to do other than hang out, go for walks, cook together and, yeah, reminisce.
9 driveways in 3 states. Family. Friends that go back 60+ years. Newer friends that we’ve been close to for 10+ years. Co-workers, roommates, and even bosses! Each and every one is part of our history and we are a part of theirs. So many shared moments - some of them life changing - and strangely enough, …. Therein lies the rub.
During these visits I’ve been continually shocked by the memories that I thought I had. That I thought were exactly the way it all happened. And yet, here I am, re-examining my own recollections and my memory. Try it! Spend some time reminiscing with old friends and bring up a specific party or event, an old relationship and I bet their retelling will be very different than what you remember. A totally different house, a totally different kind of day, and even some moments you had simply not bothered to record!
We are all getting older and, yes, the concept of time is a young person’s game. Maybe we are all just holding on to what feels right or safe. Or maybe we have always just put to memory the things we needed to in order to justify the moment. Could be anything and everything. But at this point, I’m just going to go with it and acknowledge that we all see the past differently.
Basically, whoever is around the longest will get to have the final say.
It doesn’t really matter. I’m just so happy and satisfied to have all these amazing people in my life.
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