it's always interesting to examine yourself in retrospect and realize the progression of your life perspective.

that's when i am able to appreciate the crap i went through for the enlightenment.
and reapproach life accordingly--that is, hopefully wiser and smarter (that's not a redundancy).

as time passes, the experiences and lessons seem to fall neatly into place--in part, because they led you to the point you're at, and perhaps in part, because it was only right that they should happen that way (although that would require a belief in destiny--a realm I visit only in rare, miraculous circumstances because my little brain has its limits).

with age, the gap between the act and the realization seems to decrease--thankfully. the point is, you learn and you live on.