Escape from New York

Episode 43 – Can you ever really escape your past?

In order to escape your past, you have to actually be able to remember it. I don’t really remember much of my past; I blocked most of it out. I don’t want to remember it, not because it was terrible, but because I don’t believe in remembering the past. Honestly, who really wants to remember high school? Those awkward years, all the stupid mistakes that you made, the guys you dated, etc… And now that I live closer to where I grew up, I run into people from time to time. I don’t say hi, is that mean? Who cares? It was in the past.

My boyfriend moved across the country to escape his past. He’s done a good job of keeping it where it belongs, but every time he goes back home, those old memories and feelings arise again. Science has proven, (yes science, shut up) that smells and locations can trigger certain memories in the brain. Maybe I turned off that part of my brain, because I just don’t remember a lot of things.

My boyfriend always tells me that, if you forget your past, how do you know where you are going? Your past is what shapes you as a person. As much as I try to forget my past, I know that it has shaped my perspective in life. There is no denying that fact, it has shaped me as a writer, my views on relationships now, due to the bad ones of the past. The past works in mysterious but wonderful ways.

If you don’t recognize the mistakes of your past, are you doomed to repeat it? What if you do recognize them, but the same shit keeps happening over an over again? See, these questions, are the main reason why I have decided to block out most of my past life. I like the future to be a surprise, and not an indication of my past life. Why would you want to repeat something in life? Life is all about moving forward, looking for new positive adventures. How can you look forward to something, if you are running away from something in the past, or worrying about what you did in a past life?

It is my belief that the past should stay where it belongs. Enjoying the good memories, laughing about the embarrassing moments is one thing, but dwelling on something that has already happened, is just a waste of time.

Escape from New York originally aired September 10, 2000. For more information on this episode click this link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0698632/