“Yesterday is history, think about today and today only”. I have heard those words many times and they due in fact have value. But how much value? Well, the past is valuable, it humbles you and makes you smarter. So if we all forgot about that incident where we fell to peer pressure would we all be better off? I see many of my fellow gen z’s try to become so future-oriented that in fact, they aren’t better off. We must cherish the past as we cherish the idea of the future. If you can’t have both in your life you will fail. History always has a way of circling back. We will never escape the past but to try and ignore it or leave it is a dangerous game. Sure it comes with great reward, but it’s short-term value. In today’s society, we see a growing number of teens falling to drugs and alcohol. They hear about the stories of kids dying, yet they give in. I bet you’re asking how does this relate to history or the future. Well forgetting yesterday’s history of the kid who died from drugs, will in fact affect your future. You might be that kid in your future if you don’t remember. Time is a dangerous game that we have to play but that doesn’t mean we have to lose. If we as a society have an open mind to accept the past as we look for the future we can win. But with the loss of one our scale becomes unbalanced and dangerous. That’s why time is so crucial to respect no matter which way you look.