The majority of our brain functions is memory. As we age, we rely on a different section of the interconnections, and become fully integrated with past and present reality. Having conversations with spouses or other very close ones can be confusing with this transition.

“ We had the experience but missed the meaning., and approach to the meaning restores the experience” 1. When young, perhaps in grade school, there isn’t much memory to go on. Recent events dominate behavior. A fellow student trips us on purpose and many decades later gets translated into anger at unknown people that bring us right back to that moment. A driver tail gates and roars past, or there are too many children running around us in a crowd. Those things can be amusing and simply dismissed, or we can turn Descartes “I think, therefore I am” into “I am irritated therefore I am”

Memories, warehouses of experience can give us reason and purpose for trauma and the old mistake of saying bad things happen to good people. Bad things happen to all people. If we can see the meaning and growth from the ‘bad things’ the memory becomes a light and the anger and resentment against our lives fades. True living opens within us and reality is seen as growth and substantive building blocks of the sculpture we become.

Almost all the old allegories of much older times recognized this and had names for our behaviors. We are shocked at stories of rage from Hera, Poseidon and Zeus.

The anger of Yahweh visiting plagues, floods and slaughters. That last one is the truth from Scriptures. Anger, made in God’s image indeed. Anger at unrighteous behavior of us. All of us. We imagine ourselves as ‘good’ but we know we are not.

The invention of the Lie Detector, Haller, knew that anger in lying was detectable as irritation.

So what can be done for our human condition of the two edged sword of beauty and anger? How can we be healed from becoming grumpy old men and gossipy old women? We abound, look around. Truthfully, look at yourself. Great aged saints knew these things and left us with sage advice to guide us in our getting ready to leave and getting ready to join. Jesus told us the be still and listen to him. He has told us, He will mold us and He will uphold us with His peace, that indeed passes all of our understanding. Going with the flow works for dead fish but going with the glow brings us alive. May His face shine upon you and give you peace. Jack Gator

It’s pretty good.

1. James Hillman