Back when I was younger than I am now

Listening to Part of the Process, Morcheeba. Used to listen to this song a lot, a few years back. It's funny how simple, little things can take you back to your past. No matter how far it was, both in time and space, some detail triggers your memory and it takes you back to that very moment.

I treasure these flashbacks, no matter whether the awaken memory is of joyful or painful events. Reliving those emotions, rediscovering those remembrances, is a bit like getting to know oneself better, and being refreshingly honest with oneself.

Sometimes, I find myself thinking about what the point of living would be, if one could not remember. Who would I be, if I could not recall who I was an instant ago? Why would I act, if I did not know what I just did or what just happened? It puts the importance of planning (as in artificial intelligence planning) into perspective.

Returning to a time when the future was an open expanse. Free horizon. No obstacles in sight. No limitations. No idea where to go. Wondering what it would be like to be grown up. Shuddering at the thought of the unknown, yet irresistibly fascinated by it.

Immense strength comes from opening one's inner eye to one's own past. Confidence, fulfillment can be gained from appreciating how far one has come. Happiness and laughter stem from remembering how different and mysterious the world appeared. Euphoria and craving to discover what the future holds.