By Karma Christine Salvato
Staff Writer
“When you get rid of the past, the future is beautiful,” said one of the characters from the movie “Swingers.”
It is such a true statement, but sometimes not such easy advice to follow.
A couple of weeks ago I stopped by my high school and community college campuses. As I stepped onto each school’s grounds, I was immediately transported back in time. I began to recall memories from years past. As the memories faded once again and I refocused on my surroundings, I realized something — you can never go back again.
No moment is ever the same once it has ended. A moment is presented before us, we live it and then it is over. We can replay it in our minds, but we can never experience it in the same way ever again. This is simply the way that life works, but unfortunately many people have difficulty letting go of the past and moving on.
I know sometimes I do.
It is not always easy. And sometimes it is sad. We all want to experience the next endeavor that life has to offer, but first we must learn to say goodbye to the current one.
I remember high school graduation like it was yesterday, and crying my eyes out at the end of grad night. I even got a little teary-eyed during the graduation ceremony as moments of my life flashed before me.
I had a blast in high school and was very sad that it had to end. But, if I didn’t bid farewell to that chapter in my life, I couldn’t have greeted all the wonderful chapters that followed; including the one I am about to complete here at Pepperdine.
Once again I am sad to leave, but know that a new adventure awaits me, awaits all of us. Graduation will surely bring tears and a twinge of anxiety as we say goodbye to the safety and comfort of this university and embark on a new journey. In order for life to reward us, we must be willing to take that first step.
I used to think it was OK to hold on tightly to every second of my life, but have begun to understand how impossible, and just plain silly, that idea is. It is OK to keep some memories close to our heart, but it is important to not let our past dictate our future.
There is a great line from the movie “Hope Floats” that states: “Life just goes along and you have to move along with it.”
It doesn’t really matter whether you want something to end because it is inevitable. We must simply learn to accept each ending with grace and move on, not forgetting the past but instead embracing whatever new situation is around the corner.
To leave you with one more quote from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (can you tell how much I love movies?), “Life moves pretty fast and if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it.”
So, stop focusing on whatever chapter is ending in your life and enjoy the ride. Dream big. Laugh loud. Smile wide. I pray that God gives each and every one of you the courage to let go of whatever it is that holds you back from the many blessings he has in store for you.
—Ready to start a new chapter?E-mail Karma Christine Salvato PrancingPen@aol.com.
April 03, 2003
