Europe, Start Thinking Now!

Europe Group.
Week 3: “Equilibriums: The importance of remembering about our past but looking to the future.”

Europe, Start Thinking Now!

When I arrived in Italy at the beginning of my exchange year the boss of the Italian exchange organization gave a speech which I still remember today: Everybody of you can be a brand new person, can start a completely new life here in Italy. Nobody knows you, nobody knows how you have been like, you can be whoever you want!

So, we took this advice and started our experience, we started a new life.

We are always looking to the future. Everybody is making plans for the next years, the next decade, the next century. But very often while thinking about the future we forget about our past. The past as the history, which is taught at school, about which you hear in the media or of which you can find relicts in a museum. But you often forget that this still affects us.

I am from Germany and as you can imagine we often have some difficulties with the history of our country. Of course there are many brilliant chapters in German history, but there are also some really dark chapters which everybody remembers. After the second World War for many years this part of German history was not taught at school. During the 50s everybody only wanted to forget. In the history books this part of the history and the Germans’ role in it was not even mentioned. The change came with the 68s when young people wanted to know more about their history and about what had happened. Nowadays we know what has happened, we know about the dark past and we are ashamed of it.

But it is important that we do not keep silent about it, that we do not pretend it has not happened. Only like this we can be sure that nothing similar will ever happen again.

In my opinion this is really important. We can’t go back in time and change the history. But by remembering our past we are able to learn for our future. History shows us examples of different worlds, the world that changes during the years, centuries. By remembering we can distinguish the good from the bad, we can see what has been good and what should be changed. We are able to see the mistakes that have been made or good decisions that have been made.

This can be applied to every single person. Nobody should forget about his or her personal past. The past is our little personal story that makes us who we are. Of course we can change, we grow, we get older. But with growing older should be coming along getting wiser,  and wisdom comes from experience. The experience that you have gained in the past.

After all it is important not to remain stuck in the past. If something embarrassing has happened to you do not go home and hide under your bed; get over it. Always try to see the positive aspect. Take everything you can from the past and the things you have been taught. But take everything with calmness to make the best of your future and of the world’s future.

I want to end with a quote by the author Eleanor Brown: “There are times in our lives when we have to realize our past is precisely what it is, and we cannot change it. But we can change the story we tell ourselves about it, and by doing that, we can change the future.” 

By Marie E., Germany
19 years old