Memory - Momentary

In the land of memory, the time is always now.

...

Hang on a second. That is quite inaccurate. It always "was." For in recording something to be remembered, it simply must be in the past tense to become a memory.

The land was populated with has beens, ustacoulds, & never-wases. Over time, their edges became less distinct & more fuzzy. Which made for them to become more comfortable when embraced in reuinon, but difficult to recognize & be certain of which of the above groupings it fit. There were some inhabitants which switched roles, depending on the person they met & the strength of their relationship to them.

There were quiet periods, when there was a lull in visitation traffic. There was a recent shift in popularity in the neighboring realms of the present & the future. The amusement parks of Creativity & Imagination had rides that were routed to pass through the land of Memory. That led to some interest in Memory tangentially. And as the visitors to the park aged, they tended to spend a good portion of time wandering through Memory's lanes & reuniting with old & forgotten friends - reliving past experiences & rehashing old events.

The youth had little interest in Memory's offerings, much preferring to spend their time in the moment, capturing stray moments like the fluttering of butterflies, pinning them to boards, walls, & posts. Then they were packed away & shipped off in boxes to Memory, to be reviewed later. It often took years for these youth to get around to following up on what they had forwarded, some of it lay dormant in Memory's storage for years. Forgotten in the general clutter, & lonely in waiting for the opportunity to be brought out again into the fresh air & used.

Some people were lost to Memory & had no one left to inquire after the matter of their rediscovery. There were others who were never fully recovered, & those who bore witness to what remained of their loved one never fully recovered themselves either. Something more was lost than merely the person, but also the witness of the lost soul who had invested themselves into that person's life & felt the loss of that access to that part they gave away.

Time is said to heal all wounds, but there was no promise that it would dull all pain. Scars have ran deep in the families & friends of those lost souls - in certain environments & times of the year, the hurt is felt more sorely, like a phantom limb. Time offers alternative options & opportunities to spend oneself into other people & projects. But it is not designed to replace the person, but to substitute for every soul is unique & the bonds that have been severed cannot be replicated & spliced into another relationship, however much both parties may try. New bonds must be formed & recognized for their own unique abilities & value.

It is a dangerous business to travel Memory alone, without a destination held firmly in mind. One can never be certain who they shall meet along the way. Encounters may involve the untangling of messy & complicated relationships with other travelers walking the same paths. Some of these may become suspicious or territorial around certain areas, & become aggravated & defensive when questioned as to why they should be so. Often, these people will turn the question around & ask what right the first person should have in being there in the first place. The first person may protest that there was no indication of ownership in the area, upon which the defensive individual may counterpoint that there were signs in the area, if you knew how to read them. But, as not everyone is literate in such things, it may be the second person's elitist behavior becoming exposed as thinking that everyone else thinks like they do. Which, when seen in plain daylight, is frankly embarrassing to all parties involved. Depending on the graciousness of the party, such revelations may be either grounds for apology & forgiveness or enmity & bitterness. Sometimes both take place - even when forgiveness is offered, a bitter heart can perceive this as pity & reject the offer along with the person behind it.

As stated above, traveling alone throughout Memory is dangerous & liabilities are assumed at the traveller's own risk. Discretion truly is the better part of valor, and not all situations are worth the fight given the cost of a victory. Overall, it is the individual's attitude & perspective of such matters which shall dictate whether their time dwelling in Memory is a pleasant experience. Selective travel can lead to better & healthier routes, while confronting some of the problems in troubled areas can lead to encounters which leave the traveller in either cathartic or crippled state.

It is recommended that you be patient during the time spent in Memory. Some parts have fragile ecosystems & will only bloom & ripen into full splendor in their due season. Most things respond better to respect than coercion in providing directions to desired areas & names of personages. Often, a circuitous route is offered, but it is often for good reasons. Shortcuts may be littered with dead-ends, leaving the traveller cut short on their journey. And often, more is learned on the way to the destination than when arriving at the destination itself.

This ends the official overview of the Land of Memory. Please feel free to visit at leisure & stay as long as preferred. The inhabitants will be able to add more details regarding specific activities & opportunities within its borders.