Something to Think About (and a little self-justification)

I ran across this sentence in a book I'm reading (see left), and it really struck me: "[O]ur lives are not stories, at least in the present tense--we don't passively consume a narrative thread. (We turn our lives into stories after the fact, after the decisions have been made, and the events have unfolded.)" (page 56)

In context the author is using this to justify video games, but it struck me as much more profound. I've been thinking a lot about history lately, and I think this is why there is so much debate and confusion over historical events and narratives. Yes, we may be able to prove that a certain person was at a certain place and did a certain thing. But when it comes to why that person did a certain thing at that time and how it ties into everything else going on at the same time, that's where we get into trouble. Because the person in question doesn't know the bigger picture at the time--that's usually for us to determine and interpret.

Joseph Smith didn't know about the Book of Mormon or Nauvoo or temples or anything when he walked out of the Sacred Grove. Everything came piece by piece until we get to today, when we can look back and see a narrative that didn't exist at the time. It's the same thing with any historical figure or event. Sometimes the people involved write memoirs and create that narrative for us, but even then it's their interpretation of the events after the fact--another participant will have a different point of view. As one friend pointed out, when it comes to history, there are very few "facts."

And it made me think about my own life, what my narrative will be. Right now I can see how certain events led to decisions and my current life path, but I certainly didn't know it at the time. I have imagined the rest of my story, but I have no idea what lies before me. And I have to say, if anyone were writing/reading a minute-by-minute account of my life these days, it would be incredibly boring. Should I try to make it more interesting? Is there more I want to do with my time before it passes?

Ok, enough pondering. On to self-justification. Later in the same book (page 119), the author is talking about blogging and online diaries: "[T]he screen is not just something you manipulate, but something you project your identity onto, a place to work through the story of your life as it unfolds." I like that.