Moving forward

History is a funny thing, we all have history. I couldn't see the point in studying history at school, why would I need to know what happened in 1066, the only date I remember. I sat at the back of the class while Mr Major waffled on, his words went in one ear and out of the other. Years later I took a coach trip of school kids to the site of the Battle of Bosworth. I walked around a field with them, reading the plaques, the teacher explaining what it was all about. To me it was just a field, like any other field. 

Sitting in a classroom learning about what happened a long time ago did not appeal to me at all. I was only concerned about what was happening in my life, here and now. Thinking about what I would do when I left school, exciting times of living as a teenager in the sixties. The importance of living, as opposed to being dead, became my focus for the future. I was intent on living my life in the best way I could, and that did not include continually revisiting the very distant past. 

Some may say we learn from the past. That might be true in some circumstances, where humans have made a complete and utter balls up of things. I have made a few bloopers, where I've thought I won't do that again, and blow me down, I did. History has a habit of repeating itself. We should learn from the past, but often we don't. We can't go back and rub out the past, it happened, it's gone. 

My blog covers about twelve years of my life. In that time I have moved on. Someone asked me for some more videos showing my bargain hunting shopping, I explained that I no longer search out the best bargains in lots of different places. My circumstances have changed, yes, I still like to get the best I can for the price I can afford to pay. But I do this mainly in one supermarket and one shop now, because for the sake of keeping myself safe I don't want to put myself at risk by being close to others. Also the frugal habits I have learnt over the past years are now paying off, I can afford a comfortable life on my pension. 

It is my belief that being stuck in the past causes a blockage in our thinking, which in turn stifles our creativity. Everything evolves, everything moves forward, and we have to find a way to move forward with it. I remember a saying I read somewhere, what's the definition of madness, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Things will never be different if people are not willing to leave the past behind and move forward. 

Erasing history altogether is not the answer, what's happened has happened, but as long as people are stuck in a timewarp, the human race will never make progress. I urge you to free yourself of the shackles of time, and strike out in this brave new world. Look to the future with hope, do not look back with despair. 

That's all for this damp Friday morning. Toodle pip.  ilona