The death of a well-known figure causes people to evaluate how they remember that person. My local newspaper called President Ronald Reagan "The Great Communicator."
Death usually results in large amounts of hypocrisy. Someone could curse another person their entire life but then at word of his death say, "He was a great man."
This does not mean Reagan was not a great communicator or a great man. He was funny, personable and loved by many Americans.
Not everyone is that fortunate.
We are not all well-known or well-liked. But when we leave, even if it is because we change jobs or locations, people tend to remember the best of us.
It reminds me of my shoes. I have these tall, clunky white shoes that I wore to a high school dance. They happened to match the outfit I wore Sunday for my brother's high school commencement ceremony. I found them in the closet and excitedly put them on, grateful that they added 3 inches to my 5-foot, 2-inch frame.
Minutes later, walking across a football field, I realized why I left them in the back of the closet years ago.
I had remembered them as the funky white shoes that made my legs look longer, my body look slender and my height increase. I did not remember my fear of breaking my ankles every time I wore them.
Maybe that is the glorious thing about memory -- it helps protect us by weeding out that unhappy moment or frustration with an old friend.
Either that or we only recall what we choose to remember.
There are, however, some other moments that stick out in our minds. These are traumatic, upsetting and sad moments. We want to forget them, but we cannot. They make us who we are.
For the most part, memories tend to improve. Those long, hard days of high school, athletic practices and homework seemed tedious at the time. Now, college freshmen long for their high school days.
Professionals long for their college days.
Stay-at-home parents might long for their professional days.
They do not remember the deadlines, the arguments, the exhaustion or frustration. They remember the time with friends and coworkers, their favorite instructors or supervisors and the freedom their past brought them.
It is all deceiving.
Nothing was as great as we remember it, but it is important that we remember the greatness of anything we had. This is especially important when remembering people.
It is far easier to sleep at night thinking that people are mostly caring, giving and loving.
We must keep these thoughts in perspective and do our best to remind ourselves of the reality of past situations.
Sure, high school was great, but think about all there is to learn after. College was fun, but we cannot roll out of bed to go to class or pull all-nighters forever.
Life changes, people change, and we all must honor the past but not live too much in it.
Do not sweat the mistakes or the arguments in the past. People will hopefully remember us all for the good we have done and attribute any of the bad to human nature.,,2(-¦+â-ê$~zo_phillips_6.7DNEditorial,,2SORT +â-ä2AUDT
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