Trophies and ribbons are important marks of accomplishment and can be very meaningful. Men (and women) will march into a hail of bullets in wartime and feel justly rewarded when a colored piece of ribbon is pinned on their chest.
Something about being acknowledged.
Everyone likes an "atta boy" or "atta girl". A pat on the back works wonders for me and my tail usually wags ferociously!
Those trophies and ribbons were so important at one time that they were cherished and put behind locked glass cases so everyone could admire the accomplishments. Every time one would walk by it, it would compel memories of victory, be it for football or the chess team.
Faded team pictures of years gone by lined these shelves framed and standing as resolute reminders of the glories of youth and vitality...of valiant winners.
How could things of such importance now have so little regard by the current generation?
If you Google "used trophies" you will find many, businesses that recycle old trophies. They will buy them and resell them to a new crop of "winners".
I suppose that's a good idea, I'm all for recycling but somehow it doesn't set right with me, this tossing out of old memories...old victories.
On the other hand, trophies are only meaningful to the ones who were awarded them. Once they are gone or don't care, no one else will usually care either.
Trophies are for past accomplishments. Some may be important enough to put in a museum, but most are destined for the back hall closet, a box in the garage or maybe recycled via the internet.
There's a reason that the rear view mirror in your car is way smaller than your windshield.
Safety...yes. However it is far more important to see clearly where you are going than to see where you've been.
Both views are essential, but must be kept in perspective.
Quote “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it”
This quote is often attributed to the philosopher George Santayana. It means that if we don't learn from what happened in the past, we are likely to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.
The positive case is that people who study and learn from the past are able to apply the lessons learned - about what works, and what doesn't - to the issues of the present. The negative case is that the past and the present are different (by definition!) so the past is not an infallible guide.
Overall I'd say that thinking about the past can give us valuable insight about issues and outcomes, but we should be careful about too-easy generalizations or analogies between past and present events. (Taken from a discussion on the subject at Yahoo Answers by bimiup)
This week marks the one year anniversary of my attendance at Mercy Weight Loss Center. In this past year I have lost just over 100 pounds and have kept it off for 6 months.
It is a year for the trophy case.
I have been determined to do whatever it takes to win at losing. No one that does something like this does it alone. I have many people in my life who have encouraged and loved me and helped me get here.
If I start naming names I'll miss someone but if you read my blog regularly, chances are your name is on the list.
No one does something like this without God's help and He has been with me even when I sincerely doubted He cared much anymore because at some points I didn't want to care! Thanks God!
And of course my darling wife...she never gave up on me either! God and her make a daunting and incredible team!
A glance at the rear view mirror and now a steady look forward.
2010 was one for the "record books" of my life.
My life...I actually have one again..and these are some of the heavy thoughts that move me towards lighter living.
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