NEW CASTLE —
What potential memories am I bartering, and is the profit worth the price?
In the late 1980s, CBS tried somewhat unsuccessfully to revive the “Twilight Zone” television series from the 1960s. As an early-onset nerd, I had teethed myself on the syndication of this show, and couldn't wait for the new series.
Unfortunately, it tanked, but not before two seasons of new mind-bending stories.
One of these was "The Mind of Simon Foster." Simon lived in a time of great financial strife, and eventually made the mistake of selling his memories in order to make ends meet. The end result, of course, was disastrous, with Simon becoming a sort of hodge-podge mess of his own and others' memories. And then, the eerie voice-over at the end of the episode: "Simon Foster, a patchwork collection of lost dreams held together by the stolen memories of strangers. A man who discovered that we truly are the sum of our parts."
Obviously, selling our memories is not an option, and therefore not a problem. But we can barter our POTENTIAL memories, and when we do, we're cutting a deal that's frighteningly similar to Simon's.
How many times in your life have you done one of these three things?
1. Chosen social acceptance over over your heart's desire.
2. Chosen financial gain over ethics.
3. Chosen your comfort zone over the adventure you were born to experience.
It could be any one of those things, or any combination. Maybe all three. I'm not too proud to admit that I've fallen into every one of those categories at one time or another. I wonder how many memories I haven't created because of those choices, and how many sums of my whole are missing because of it.
The most noticeable for me is the third. I've never had a real problem going against the social norm (just ask anyone whose been brave enough to go out in public with me!), nor do I tend to throw off my moral compass, especially for money. But choosing my comfort zone over the potential for amazing adventures? Guilty as charged.
I can't even begin to count the excuses I have for living the life of a speed bump. (Not the zero to 60 in 6.4 seconds with 19-inch forged aluminum alloy wheels of an Audi R8 Spyder, mind you. The speed bump. Dead in the middle of the road. Speed. Bump.)
•"I don't have the money."
•"I don't have the time."
•"That kind of thing is for OTHER people."
•"I don't have anyone to go with me."
•"I probably couldn't do that."
It all adds up to one basic cop-out: "It's just easier not to."
The adventurer in me (when not being quashed into silence with a bag of potato chips and a re-run of an old chick flick) says, "To heck with easy! Go for it! Just do it! (Insert popular sports drink/shoe slogan here)!”
Someday, when our bodies have given out, and all we have left are our memories, what stories will we tell? Will we tell our children and grandchildren that we WOULD have gone (skydiving/hiking/cross-country troll hunting) but we didn't because it was just easier not to? Or that we worked for the company that leaked toxic fluids into our city's water supply because the pay was great? Or that we would have been a rock star, but were too embarrassed to dress like Lady Gaga and act like Ozzy Osbourne?
God, I hope not. Security is pretty much a superstition anyhow, and if I'm going to chase a dream, I'd like it to be a big one. No. A HUGE one.
Taking risks may cause you to lose your balance momentarily. So what? Not taking them may cause you to lose yourself permanently.
Just like Simon Foster.
Lisa Madras
Related Photos
-
About Lisa Madras: Lisa is the advertising dispatch at The News. She has agreed to blog about her personal pain in an effort to inspire others going through similar circumstances. She’ll share her thoughts each Monday.
-
Discussion
Lisa Madras: What will you risk to create a special memory?
- Lisa Madras
-
-
Lisa Madras: I’ve still got plenty of questions, but now I have family to help answer them
What’s something new you’ve recently learned about yourself? Oh, happy day. I've been waiting my whole life to have a great answer to this question, and now that I finally do. I can hardly believe it myself.
-
Lisa Madras: I’m kickin’ it old school — and trying to get a leg up
What lessons did you NOT learn in the classroom? Several weeks ago, I found myself stumbling around outside of my comfort zone. I'd gone to a college campus to begin working on a new degree and new direction for my life. And boy did I feel like a square peg.
-
Lisa Madras: Don’t like me? Don’t need you around, either
What have you lost interest in recently? It seems as if I lose interest in more and more things as I get older. It might seem a frightening thought at first, but really, how many trivial pursuits do we cling to that we eventually just outgrow?
-
Lisa Madras: Don’t waste your life — it’s a precious gift that’s far too short
When did you first realize that life is short? I'm sure I don't need to remind you of last week's tragedy at the Boston Marathon. The images of that horrific event have taken their place in our souls right next to those of 9/11, the Sandy Hook shooting and every other devastating event in recent history.
-
Lisa Madras: Longing for a do-over? Like scissors, it’s in your hands
If you could do it all over again, would you change anything? My kids ask me all the time if I like being a grown-up. I tell them that it has its upsides and downsides, but always think to myself, "My gosh, what I wouldn't give to be a kid again and start all over."
-
Lisa Madras: Want a brighter future? Stop living in the past
If you had the opportunity to get a message across to a large group of people, what would your message be? I've hemmed and hawed over this question about a gazillion times, always pushing it to the bottom of my list because I could never settle on one definitive answer.
-
Lisa Madras: Forget the law, let’s break the entire system!
What makes you angry? Oh boy, is this a loaded question for me! Where do I start, and how long are you willing to read before you nod off from the sheer exhaustion of trying to finish my list?
-
Lisa Madras: What’s your special gift? Share it, don’t hide it!
What makes you so special? It cracks me up to hear this question, because when it's generally asked, there's more than a bit of snark involved.
-
Lisa Madras: You know what burns me up? A passion!
What gives your life meaning? On the surface, it's tempting to list all the obvious things: your family, your job, your volunteer work. These things all give our lives meaning, but deep down inside each of us there's a burning.
-
Lisa Madras: I made it to my year of catharsis, and you will, too
How would you describe the past year of your life in one sentence? "The past year of my life has been cathartic." That's my easy one-sentence summary. I've been waiting to say that for such a long time. And boy, does it feel good.
- More Lisa Madras Headlines
-
