By Kyra-lin Hom

One of the most bizarre things about time is its inflexibility. Scientifically speaking, time is relative. It can be distorted by gravity, speed (of light), and scale – shrink down to the quantum level and time as we understand it is meaningless. Yet for all intents and purposes, time for us mundane, mouth-breathing humans is constant. It moves forward at a mercilessly unchanging rate and leaves us with nothing but memories and souvenirs.

This sense of loss, that time and opportunities are slipping through our fingers, can be crippling. Excessive dwelling on the past can be one of the most devastating symptoms of severe depression. And you don't have to be clinically depressed to feel saddened by thoughts of things that will never be again, things like health, for example. I may still be young, but I've been hard on my body via intense athletics and have some injuries that I will never fully recover from. Watching other people age can be even more difficult. My grandmother likely won't remember I'm getting married even as she's attending the reception. That's life. Sentimentality is a double-edged sword.

I didn't actually learn how to actively live in the present until college. I used to dwell excessively on the past from a combination of anxiety, misplaced responsibility and teenage angst. You know how you can get caught up in what might have happened if you'd done B instead of A? Yeah, I used to dwell like that. All the time. Self-reflection is good, but there is definitely a tipping point to everything, and I was hopscotching right past this one. I didn't even realize I was doing it until I met someone who aggressively didn't. She and I didn't (and still don't) always see eye-to-eye, but her childlike enthusiasm for the present moment was catching. Time and life move on, and so we must move with them.

I have greatly enjoyed writing this column and sharing my interests and experiences with all of you. Sometimes you liked me, sometimes you didn't, but I'd like to believe that we communicated all the same. After all, no two people agree with each other all the time. That would be plain weird. But alas, the walrus has spoken and the time has come for me to take my leave. Time is thusly pulling me forward into a new stage of life. I've gone back to school, am working in an entirely different field, am getting married, and am soon to move even farther away from my well-loved hometown of West Seattle. The great Big Apple is calling my name.

It is time for me to move on and let other local writers fill in these lines, but I will look back fondly on these memories. I have learned much from both writing this column and from your feedback. I was forced to expand my view of the world and simultaneously guided in honing my worldview. I hope that I at least entertained you for a few minutes out of your busy week in return. Best of luck and well wishes to you all.