‘The past is not true’
Seems we had both been told the accident was our fault, and had spent eighteen years feeling bad about it. This time she started crying, sniffled, grabbed a tissue to wipe her eyes and said, “It’s so stupid - these stories.”
And
Aim a laser pointer at the moon, then move your hand the tiniest bit, and it’ll move a thousand miles at the other end. The tiniest misunderstanding long ago, amplified through time, leads to piles of misunderstandings in the present
Every time I shine a flashlight in the air, I always think about how those photons are being cast out for how many millions of unknown miles and, yes, that the most minuscule movement on my end will drastically change their trajectory down the line.
Derek’s story and deft comparison to our memories of past actions having longstanding impact — even if they’re not “true” — left me almost shellshocked.