Where do memories reside once we're done with them? In a place where nothing ever happens? In a place where all they do is gather dust until we decide to reach for them again, be they good or bad, and relive those few moments? I can't say that isn't true. In the middle of it all, memories are the place where we most often retreat when we can't take reality at the moment. Even the bad memories we have hold a meaning to us that they might not to anyone else. A mistake you made could hold the key to you feeling better about the reality you find yourself in now.

Memories are the heart of what drives us to do better. In the midst of all the pain we ever feel and in the middle of all raging sound around us, our memories are where we can retreat to and find a sense of solace. The good memories we use to remind us that, even though reality is bad for the moment, it wasn't always. The bad memories are used to remind ourselves that, even though reality is rough for the moment, it has been worse and we made it through. We persevered until there wasn't anything left for us to do but to move forward.

These things are all part of the truth that makes us human and makes us wish that we could do more even when we do all we can already. To say that no one goes back to an old memory is to say that, in the middle of it all, we are lying to ourselves. Memories keep us afloat and help us swim to the distant shore that we've been trying to reach for all our lives. Soon enough, we get to where we need to go, even if it's not what we were striving for in the first place. Memories drive us to do better and make a better world for ourselves. They keep us moving ahead in stead of coming to a dead stop.

Don't stop when it gets hard for you to see the end of the path. Go back to the memories that held so much meaning to you, the good or the bad, and then take those memories with you as you take the next step into reality. Create new memories, so that you can fall back on them again and again. Never stop making memories, don't quit living your life just because reality hurts a little; that's why memories are there in the first place. Use them to get yourself to where you are going.

Shooting for your dreams and taking chances is all a part of life and as life moves on so do you. The memories you have will help you get to where you want your dreams to be, and new memories of reaching that dream will remind you that all the pain is worth it at the end. Moving forward is a part of life, so reach and grab a memory that will help you get there. There's nothing wrong with with pulling out an old memory to help you make new ones.