Do you have certain memories of seemingly insignificant conversations that just stand out in your mind? I am sure you do. Some of these memories may go back years, yet they are still vivid. I often think that these events in our lives have a purpose. Some have certainly served a great purpose in my life.

One of these strong impressions that stands out for me was a conversation with our tea lady who was from Holland. I was working in the Education Board in New Zealand. Our “tea lady”, who’s name has slipped my mind, had just made a trip to Holland after being away for about 10 years.

She was devastated when she returned to New Zealand. She had found nothing in Holland to be as she remembered it. Everything had changed. For some reason that made quite an impression on me at the time. Most likely deep in my heart I knew that one day I could be facing something similar.

Sure enough that day came. It was 15 years since I last stepped off the plane in Christchurch, New Zealand. In May of this year (2009) I decided that 15 years was enough, well too long really. I expected changes so there were no shocks.

However there were some pleasant surprises as of course much progress has been made. New Zealand is well up with the times in terms of the digital age.

Actually in some things, it is ahead. Christchurch is a city of 348,435. The country now has 4,262,072 (It used to be 3,000,000 people and 60 million sheep. Today there are about 40 million sheep. (Dairy and deer farming are increasing).

Yet you see digital signs letting you know how many spaces are left in the all of the main carparks in the city.

The bus system is like a metro. The main bus terminal looks like an airport. Out around the city many of the bus stops have a digital boxes on the bus stop posts. You simply press a button on this box to find out when your bus is expected to arrive.

The port hills are the same. Christchurch is located on the Canterbury plains with the alps in the background and the port hills right behind the city. Across the hills is the port of Lyttleton (pictured above) and other smaller settlements located in various bays. The difference is that now you can either take the footpath and climb the hills or simply jump on the gondola and ride up.

Memories are a good thing, as long as you don’t allow them to hinder your present and future. Of course you definitely don’t want to hang on to the bad memories. But even good memories can hinder you from enjoying the changes of the present and future.

The best thing is to enjoy the present, and be flexible enough to realize that today only comes once in a lifetime!

Are you making the most of your present?