Past

The past in terms of millions of years of evolutionary memory carried in our genes and chromosomes ( much before we knew about them), the memory of our parents, family, region, mother tongue, regional food, culture and tradition etc. These memories are part of us even if we don't want or don't like.

However, it is left to our choice to host or to drive away the past in terms of socio-political ideologies and ideas as well as certain socio-cultural adaptations or trends.  

In either case we need to know the past to make a choice. 

Knowing the past need  not prevent us from change which in any case is inevitable aspect of evolution in every domain of life. 

In any case philosophically speaking no one can rewind his/her life.

Perhaps

​All Evolution

Stitches

Together the pieces .

Humans have the faculty of memory which is a double edged sword. Good and pleasant ones makes life interesting.

But it is memory and thoughts which prevent emancipation of human faculty beyond the intellectual strata as the great philosopher JK and Bhagwan Shri Ramana Maharshi have explained in so many words that to realise our inner self we need to first go beyond our thoughts and memory driven faculties. 

It would be pertinent to mention what ― Idries Shah the great Sufi writer says in Reflections

“You have not forgotten to remember;
  You have remembered to forget.
  But people can forget to forget. That is just as important as remembering to remember - and generally more practical.”