I came upon this the other day that I wrote:
Memories…
I don’t know how the mind works…
So that truth gets morphed into a
story…
That you can live with.
We always have to come out the
winner, don’t we?
I wrote it awhile ago…
And at the time I wrote it…
I had been in a conversation with my daughter…
When we were remembering a stressful situation…
She and I were in.
But her memory of that time…
Was vastly different than mine.
We argued that what each remembered...
Was the real truth…
Was the real truth…
Obviously she thought her memory was right…
And I argued that my memory was right.
But how can that be?
I then realized both of us…
Had our own reality of that situation at that time…
But what was the truth?
I’ve been thinking about this…
And it made me think of us authors…
And the stories we write…
And how we make our heroes and protagonists…
Always come out the winner.
But in life…
We can’t always be right…
Can’t always be the hero…
Unless that is…
We rewrite reality…
Just enough so we can live with our actions.
This concept is not new…
I remember lines from the song, Memories…
Sung by Barbra Streisand…
“Has time rewritten every line…
What’s too painful to remember…
We simply choose to forget”
What about you?
Have you ever rewritten your reality…
Because you couldn’t bare to own up to the truth?
Or?
Have you ever written about a hero...
Who didn't win in the end?
Or?
Have you ever written about a hero...
Who didn't win in the end?
Always, Em-Musing
7 comments:
This is what makes memoir writing a very sticky business ... :)
I think we choose to block out some of the negative, which of course changes the essence of the truth.
It is interesting how the mind works.
My brother and I had an interesting discussion a while ago because his memory of growing up was very different from mine. And I was like, "Whose house were you living in?" LOL
But then I realized he was older and doing different things and just plain had a different perspective.
This always fascinates me, as I've had debates with a particular friend and just crushed him (as even mentioned by those watching), but later he'll say something like, "Yeah, I think I edged you out." Were we both hearing the same things? Or was he not listening at all?
I just pray I'm never that a-hole.
I think you've hit it -- memories are the truth in the story you can live with. My memories of growing up are so different than my brothers'. Even with my daughter, her memories are fresher than mine and she'll point out something I missed.
And no, I never have written an ending where the protagonist doesn't get what they want, but I want to.
I reckon this happens all the time. It is said there are two sides to a story and somewhere in the middle is the truth.
I am going through a similar impasse with family member. Which one of us has the plank and which the speck of sawdust? LOL!
Oftentimes we can watch a film or read a book and those life experience we have had will affect how we interpret the theme and intent of the drama. Reading or watching again sometime later may change our perceptions of the tale.
Never. I like a happy ending. Good guy kills bad guy and gets the girl. Predictable, but satisfying.
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