Ranting: Steps Ahead

Humans have the most amazing tenacity when it comes to holding on to things. It's astonishing. I wonder why they have the term "pack-rats" when they should have the term "pack-humans" instead. Or is that because humans naturally come in packs? Oh wait, rats can do that too.
THE SECRET OF NIMH flashback.
This is a very interesting start to a rant, no?

What I'm refering to exists along the same lines as the feeling of guilt, as in, it seems to be a purely human invention. When animals have to move forwards in life, they just do, and don't think that much about it. Then again, we're not animals, are we? Think again. We can be technical or figurative and either way the argument doesn't have much of a leg to stand on.

Why do we like holding on to things so much, be it someone, somewhere, something, be it objects (animate and inanimate) or be it memories?

Because we'll feel sad. Why do we feel sad? Because we'll miss something. Well, why do we miss things?

Part of it, I think, is fear. Fear that once we leave something, we may never see that 'something' the way it is again. Fear that things won't remain the same, fear that things will be leaving this world, and that we can't do anything about it. Fear of change because we're leaving something behind and we don't know what's ahead. Good, sound logic points out to us that things will change, that things come and things go and nothing is truly forever because even ourselves change, so how we observe things change. This is what we're afraid of, its justified in a way, but need it to be so strongly associated with missing things? Because even if we stay exactly were we are, things will still change. As long as time moves forward, things will change, leaving things behind seems to not make that much of a difference except, perhaps, make us more aware of the change than we would be, had we been here to observe it everyday.

Analysis part one: finished.

Another reason is our attachment to things. This is very, very regular since a lot of animals show signs of attachment to what they're familiar with. But this is where technology comes from. It's quite wonderful how we can now take most of our attachments along with us...there're many many ways to preserve things in memory and many many ways to keep the attachment we once had. Keeping in touch is never easier. It's never exactly the same, of course, but what is? Not quite the same but it can come pretty close.

Part two: finished.

A lot of what we feel depends on each person's character and persoanl history and therefore trying to dissect this might be a wee bit difficult, seeing how there's almost an endless variety of people, each with their own tale to tell. However, story or not, personality or not, each of us have something that we earn for. Most of us, I think it's safe to say, have yet to achieve that something (especially since our 'something' is constantly refreshed, and changing). Here's the logic. You want something, you don't have it yet, therefore it's definitely not in your past, even if you can turn back time. You don't have it at the moment, or I shouldn't think you do because, if you are reading this, you're probably sitting in front of a computer doing computer things. Therefore, if you want to get what you want, you're suppose to look to the future, which is exactly opposite of the 'holding-on-to-everything' mode. Conflict? Oh yes. Decisions? There's one. My opinion? Persuit of happiness people, march ahead, even if you don't have a map.
I hear there're road signs along the way.
I also hear that long-distance phone calls are getting very, very convenient.

Chill. Breathe in. Breathe out. Repeat.
What you want is in front of you. Fear is normal, but what was behind you is not as far back as you think it is.

Breathe. Breathe.
Duct tape, anyone?