Wednesday, August 22, 2012

On Marks and Memories


Some people often ask me why I am so into the television series How I Met Your Mother. Why is this show your favourite? There are variety of reasons why this particular program intrigues me, but there is one one feature about the show that is so unique, so open and so original that it truly can relate to anyone watching. That feature is the gift of reflection.

You see, there is a trend I'm noticing on the internet about reflections on the Twenty-Something Years. This decade is arguably (or decidedly) the most important decade in a person's life because it will determine the direction of the rest of your life. Where you went to school, who you lived life with, and where you forge your career path are all stemmed from the choices we have made in our twenties and early thirties. And so we read on people's perspectives about "What I wish I knew when I was twenty" or "Things you need to know in your twenties" or "What I would tell my twenty-two year-old self." These are all reflections of people who have traveled the road before us and can look back to identify the mistakes and successes and share them with the rest of us.

The perspective we see from How I Met Your Mother is just that, a man who has lived out these years, framed as a flashback, and it's this man's memories being reflected back to his kids. A story that has milestones and mistakes, a story that holds nothing back in terms of the marks he's made and the lessons he's learned during the most significant years of his life that have shaped who he is as an individual.

We can watch this show and wonder to ourselves how is our living being shaped right now. What is the story that I'm going to tell my kids about how I lived my life, because it's unfolding right now. What I do today will be a testament for tomorrow, so it's a reminder to make today count for something.

The times that we're living now are going to be our memories, and it makes us more present in our life and make us appreciate it more. These memories help mark us.

Only one season left, but it's no surprise to me why this show lasted as long as it did.

No comments:

Post a Comment