A few days ago I noticed that it’s been about 1 year since I started this website. This will be my 135th blog post since then. I took a look at the archived posts from February 2015. Here’s what I learned:
- Ideas matter. As human beings we stumble upon, contemplate, test, and validate ideas. It was fun seeing what ideas preoccupied me last year.
- Meanings change. Last year it snowed. This year it snowed. Last year I stood with 5th graders as they chanted Torah for the first time. This year as well. But the meanings I derived from these experiences were anything but identical. Of course the experiences themselves were different, but not so different that it would explain the diversity of meanings that these experiences had for me.
- If we don’t write it down, then one day it will be as if it never happened.
- There are many different ways of reflecting. In the moment reflection is an important thing to do, but every so often it’s great to take a longer view and be able to look back across the expanse of time.
- The soul is a funny thing. When I look in the mirror I see my body aging. But at this point in my life, I don’t see the same thing happening to my soul. Looking back on last year’s posts I encounter the same soul that I encounter today. More life experience, more practice reflecting and making meaning, but the same soul.
Looking back