Memory is a wonderful aspect of who we are as humans. It can produce joy, warning, affection, thought, sentimentality, and feelings of commitment. When memory is invoked, we are called to attention. The past becomes the present and we become present to the events of the past in a way that moves us towards the future. Memory is how past events and commitments “live” for us and continue to affect us in a very real way. Our most meaningful memories are shaped by who we are and what is important to us. They are often guided by those around us, who help us remember. Memories can be triggered by things: objects, images, music, tastes and smells, colors, and physical sensations. To quote Cesare Pavese: "we don't remember the days, we remember the moments". Shared memories bring people together, creating a kind of legacy. They strengthen our sense of community. One reason why memory loss due to illness or old age is so tragic is that it can distance a person from loved ones who have shared a common life. Memories can be painful by recalling events and moments that we simply want to forget. Wanted or unwanted, they have a common pattern: they travel through time. What is time? We can define it from many perspectives. We perceive time as we create it in our mind. The past is made of a memory recorded in the brain, of which the present is the awareness, while the future does not yet exist. Physicists conceive of time as a presence of movement and forces in the Universe caused by the expansion of space. (Physics of Time) Is time just an illusion? How does Walker Percy conceive of time when in "The Loss of the Creature" he writes that for the tourist of the Grand Canyon there is no present, but only the past of what has been formulated and seen and the future of... half of paper. .. enriches his life and enjoys and truly, honestly understands the world around him and all it has to offer. Could the answer lie in rediscovering the humble wonder of the child within us? The history of human beings proceeds through the continuous discoveries of those who do, think differently, see the world with original eyes, without arrogance, with humble hearts, seeking answers to the unknown. The essence is to continue to seek new paths and frontiers, whether cultural, terrestrial or spatial, it needs matter, as long as we continue to evolve. Being spectators or creators depends on each of us and what we choose to be. Ways of Reading, An Anthology for Writers, Bedford/St.Martin's, Boston-New Yprok, 9th edition, Walker percy, The Loss of the Creature p460.Print.