There is an old barn in central Wisconsin that smells of wood smoke and sprigs of spruce. Myriad native and exotic farm animals roam the grounds freely. Be careful where you step. Six inches of snow and a slight wind under a sunny December sky make for a perfect family get-together. Even an imperfect memory can create a lasting impression such as this. I've been fortunate enough to visit this place a number of times with family and friends. It has made an enduring holiday memory.
What are your special holiday places? Are there place-based locations that your family and/or friends like to gather during times of celebration? Perhaps it is a lake cottage on July 4th or a ridgeline looking west on while the winter solstice sun sets. The mixture of special people over the course of time creates the memories and attachments to these special places. To preserve these places and times we collect photographs, videos, and just plain old memories which, when combined with the feelings of love and closeness, offer an enduring connection to the physical spaces surrounding such interactions.
On this holiday season of 2011 I hope you all can share time and space with the people that you love. You never know when you're creating a memory in the mind of a child or a friend. Be Well and Best Wishes for a joyful and prosperous 2012.
I identify with the experiences of which you describe. Memories of places and times though shared, cannot be exactly duplicated by anyone other than those who experienced them together. Even If wished or desired to be matched by others, they cannot come close to the original experiences. All were unique! Publics should and do strive to share commonalities, but we need to be careful not to subliminate our uniqeness to a vision of togetherness derived from a common theme.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if I understand exactly what you're trying to say but, that said, I think I agree. Thanks for your comment. We all exist in the realm of our own experiences and, as you suggest (I think), should not mistake our experiences for those of another, or vice versa.
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