Voices From The Past

We all have voices from the past that constantly remind us of the good decisions and mistakes we’ve made throughout our life. These echoes usually keep our keel straight and our sails unfurled.

In my case, I hear a chorus of those voices daily. One of my early memories was my father yelling at me when I did not clean my plate. “Eat! There are children starving in Europe!” To this day, I never leave so much as a crumb. By the way, I live in Europe now and no one is starving. However, that voice persists and I obey.

Another voice of many comes from my grammar school teachers. “He’s very bright but he does not live up to his potential.” Boy I heard this so much as a child. So much that I over-applied myself in high school and college to the point of having very little social life. I graduated college in three years but only went on one date. Somewhere along the way, I snapped back to the middle line on this one. Yes, I’m an over achiever but I’ve also learned to smell the coffee.

There are also those confirming voices that act like little pats on the back. We all have them and we all need them. I remember many from my parents as they were always supportive of my efforts in life. Those “atta boys” are needed; they fuel our imagination and are great incentives. As we grow up, our friends occasionally add those pats as well. We need as many as we can get.

There are still others that I hear daily. My journalism teacher in high school thought I was a total screw-up (a straight A student but a rebellious surfer). He used to say, “The way you’re going, you’ll wind up marrying a dumb blond with big tits!” Well that one back-fired, I have been happily married for decades to a very intelligent brunet.

Some voices are subtitle such as on old friend’s laugh from 60 years ago as he slid into a wave destined for a wipe out. I miss Kenton but he taught me how to laugh. This voice blends with so many others as each day goes by. My wife’s “I do,” my dog’s barking at the lawn mower, my son’s first words, and probably thousands of tracks from old records. These all speak to me and reaffirm my place in this universe. They make me whole again every day.

What voices speak to you from your past?

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Read author Allen E. Rizzi’s latest books available at Amazon.com