Our lives are full of reminders of the past--the good, the bad, the ugly. I impatiently watch the seconds count down on the microwave I have had for almost twenty years. I often wonder what possessed me to buy a tiny microwave with half the size and wattage of most on the market, but I am pretty sure I am still channeling some of that impatience towards my ex, who was chronically late and who was involved in the decision to buy this product. The microwave is one of the few remaining possessions from a relationship which far surpassed the expiration date.
Relationships in particular leave little pieces of evidence that we have to put into perspective. Eventually the emotions fade, or we just pitch the stuff that reminds us of the bad times.
Coincidently, this weekend, when I finally justify the new purchase of a new sleek stainless steel microwave, I rented the new release of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The movie deals with the same issues I was grappling with--how do you deal with objects and memories from past relationships? This movie introduces the concept that those actual memories can be erased, and what unfolds is the consequences of Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet's decision to erase memories of each other.
The memory-erasing company in the movie, is called Lacuna Inc.. Lacuna takes its name from the Latin word meaning a cavity, hollow, or dip, especially a pool or pond. Transfiguratively, lacuna comes to mean a gap, deficiency, or loss. The idea is to remove the loss from your life, by erasing those particular memories. The movie even created a fun website for the fictional company (see link below).
The lesson learned from the story is that despite the pain and loss of our past relationships, our memories build character. Still, I think a thorough cleansing of his or her offensive stuff does help with the healing process. Even more satisfying for me, at least, is keeping those trophy items which the ex never liked or buying those things denied you in the relationship. My greatest treasure is the car I purchased on my own which my ex had promised for years he would buy. Empowerment is a wonderful thing, and so is my shiny new microwave.
LINKS TO MENTIONED SITES
About the Movie: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Lacuna Inc.
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