IDEO question

What do you miss most? How could you bring it back?

I'm not sure if I miss anything that can be brought back.

I miss my dead cat, I miss my youth, I miss my university days, I miss the sponge of a brain I used to have. I think I miss my ability to learn quickly. Back when I was 11 I was learning Spanish, the Violin, Biology terms, dates from history, geography terms, names of authors, quotes from poets and philosophers, I was learning how to cook, how to sew, how to socially exist. I was learning who I was, how I fit into life, where I belong, who I want my friends to be. I was learning how to make things from wood and metal, I was learning how to draw technically. I was learning basic physics and how to find x by breaking brackets. I was learning about religions, and modern politics, and how to read music, and how to play simple keyboard songs, and that I am not invincible. I was learning not to forget my school books, I was learning how to type and use computers, I was learning more strategy to netball, how to aim better at hitting the shuttle cock, how to swim and be a dummy for life savers.

Now, as I am older... every day I learn less and less. That, is appalling. You would think I would learn more, but education teaches to wean out subjects, forget facts, forget fundamentals, focus focus focus... until all you really care about is design, and then you don't even know what to do with that knowledge, or what use it really has.

I miss the ease of life, and the naivity of existence that I once had when I was 19-21.

I miss my dead cat.

But, to miss them is okay, to want them back is ridiculous. Past and present shouldn't interfere in one another's place in life.


Above all though, I miss my plastic thomas the tank engine cup that I had when I was a toddler. I scour ebay for it, but to no avail.

I also miss being in the turtle club and being Raphael.

I miss my inate memory for random things.

But as Holden Caulfield says, and he is my idol, he is me. As he concludes his epic story of his madman business he says

Don’t Tell Anyone Anything, Or Else You’ll End Up Missing Everyone.

So technically I miss everything... whenever I tell you a story, or whenever I write something down... I will miss these things.

The only way to get them back, is not to lose them, and the only way not to lose them is make sure I hold on tight to the memories.