Memories seem to be of importance in most cultures, back to ancient times when it was a treat to hear the story of the culture’s history.  And then we moved to journals and works of art (clay, paintings, tapestries, etc).  Writing the unknown thoughts that pour forth, the gaping knowledge you can’t always tap, not wanting to lose it….but why have we always wanted to keep things from our time alive?  Do we really write it to go back and read, do we hope that someone else will read it later?  Do we write to keep things alive at all, or to let it go?  What is the real purpose of all of the traditions that go into the keeping of memories?  It seems like every culture has their own traditions about storytelling and memories, but do they tell them to keep them alive and well or to let them go and learn from the past?