They say young men dream dreams and old men dream the dreams of youth. That might well be what reminiscence is all about. In the process of aging, not unlike both good and bad wine, dreams become memories subject to both aggrandizement and minimization. How dangerous is either? It may depend upon the presence or absence of an intermediate step and a well-founded appraisal of that intermediate step. The intermediate step in question is some degree of the earlier actualization of those dreams. Reminiscence (1)retells our close calls with greatness, disaster, and the in-between degrees of the same, (2)recalls who we once thought we were and who we would become, and (3)simultaneously provides entertainment for others and a reassurance for ourselves that we may continue to have access to a future with memories not yet made and reminiscences not yet given voice.

I suspect there is a degree and varying degrees of danger in reminiscence. Sometimes it feels like driving in reverse with only the view through a clouded rear window to guide one. At other times it feels like driving forward while looking back with only the backside of the rear-view mirror for guidance. The latter only works well when the vehicle is sitting in one's driveway with the motor running, the transmission in park, and the parking brake engaged. Tapping the gas pedal creates the sounds and shimmy of the perception of actual movement. This is about as safe as it gets. At least until someone takes the keys away.