We take them with us everywhere.  They see us through bad times.  They are what life is all about.  Memories.  When you look back on whether or not you've had a good life, it doesn't depend on how much money you have or how big your house is, it's how many wonderful memories you have made.  Sometimes when you're just walking down the street you'll see something that will remind of an event that happened 10 years ago and just start laughing.  The mind is funny like that.  You might have never thought of it since it originally happened, but when it pops back into your mind it's like it just happened all over again.
    Last Friday I went to Beth's graduation (Dana's sister) and it brought back a lot of memories for me.  It was only three years ago when I was walking across that stage thinking that the rest of life would be easy.  I was wrong.  In fact, everything we thought we knew in high school is pretty much wrong.  I thought that I would stay friends with everybody for the rest of my life even though my mom and dad told me better and six months later all but two were gone from my life.  It seems like so long ago, but it's only been three years.  I guess it's because I've grown more as a person that three years than the previous 18 combined.  But I wouldn't trade any of my high school years for anything because of the wonderful memories I have with those people that were my "friends."
    A memory isn't really a memory until it has standed the test of time.  You don't know how memorable something will be until about 2 years later.  Sometimes you think that you'll never forget what just happened and you do, and then there are things that you would have never expected to remember at the time, but stick with you the rest of your life.  I still remember when I was nine years old a specific strikeout I had against Trey Byrum in which he threw strike three but the umpire called it a ball because he liked me and then the next pitch he threw right down the middle and I struck out swinging.  It wasn't even that important, but I can remember the most minute detail about it.  I can still remember that two years ago when Chuck, Alison, and I went to a gas station to fill her car up that it was $12.57 because she told me to remember so she could write it in her check book.
    For some reason, it's impossible to block some memories out of your mind.  In fact, the worse the memory, the more likely it is to stick with you.  But not all is bad, in fact, most is good.  There is nothing in the world like being with somebody and just looking at each other when something reminds you of an event you both experienced together and you both start laughting at the same time.  Or when all you have to say is one word and they know exactly what you're talking about.  I would take a good conversation over a good TV show anyday, and most of us would.  Why?  Because who do you share the memory of a good TV show with--the TV.  Who do you share the memory of conversation with--the person.  I have made a lot of wonderful memories in my life and when I'm ever feeling lonely, which tends to happen when you live alone, they always cheer me up.  If you get the chance, write your memories down while they're still fresh in you mind, because the mind has a tendency to forget sometimes.  That's the only reason we take pictures of things, we want to remember the moment.  The moments we laughed, the moments we cried, the moments we loved, the moments we hate, the moments we cherish, that's what's important.  I'm sure as everybody read that they were thinking of a time they laughed and cried etc.  They are a funny thing, almost an involuntarily reflex.  It's not as if we choose which memories will pop in our minds.  No one can explain it.  And to be quite honest with you, who cares?  They are just here to help us remember all of the wonderful things we've experienced in life, and the bad ones hang around, because if they didn't we might never learn from our mistakes.  So, the next time you are ever down about anything in your life, just kick back with a drink and take a wonderful trip down memory lane.