David Quammen, author of The Same River Twice, describes a personal experience he went through that helped him form a belief that Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, was right when he said, “You cannot step into the same river twice, for other waters are continually flowing on.” Quammen lived near a small spring creek in Montana that ran cool in the summer and ran warm in the winter. Quammen had three friends that were the whole reason he lived in that town. He has the spring creek, a man, and a woman. He and the man and woman, who were a couple, spent a lot of together. They went fishing, drank wine, and argued about literature. However, the couple ended up getting a divorce later on along the line and everyone parted ways. Quammen eventually went back to the spring creek and that day is when he came to the conclusion that Heraclitus was right. Quammen’s personal experience supported his conclusion that Heraclitus was right.

Many people have had experiences that were so wonderful that they wanted to relive it. I am one of those people. David Quammen is also one of those people. We both have tried to relive events that made us feel extraordinary to resurrect feelings that we once felt. However, we were left with nothing but pure disappointment when the realization sunk in that reliving events is simply impossible. You cannot feel the same way you once did by just recreating an event, or by going back somewhere that holds the happiest memories. I have tried returning to a special place in search to feel joy again. Returning brought me nothing close to the feeling of happiness. In fact, it brought me quite the opposite.

Heraclitus once said, “You cannot step into the same river twice, for other waters are continually flowing on.”  David Quammen came to that very same conclusion from a very beautiful, yet tragic, personal experience. As I read Quammen’s essay, I could imagine the disappointment when he went back to the spring creek, and it didn’t feel the same way as it did when his friends were there. Feelings that you experience at a certain place don’t just magically return if you go back to it after everything changes. Those feelings he had felt while he spent so much time there was because his friends were there too. When his friends left, everything altered. It would never be the same without them.   

I have had a similar experience to Quammen. Therefore, I know the disappointment all too well. As a little girl, my mother, father, brother and I used to go to Buckingham Fountain constantly. We would go at least four times a month, sometimes even more. However, my father spent around the same amount of time in prison. He would be gone for months at a time, and instead of going to the fountain, we’d spend those days in visitation rooms. My brother and I despised those days. We didn’t much appreciate spending so much time talking to our father, whom was locked up like an animal. Well, that was how we seen it back then. We didn’t quite understand why he was in there rather than of with us.

One day when we were meant to go see him, we joined forces and pleaded with our mother to take us to the fountain instead. That was our happy place. The fountain was where all our joyful memories as a family were spent. My mother agreed of course. My brother and I were so thrilled to go to the fountain. My mother was very silent the entire car ride. Looking back on it now, I think she already knew that we were going to be left with no happiness at all. When we finally arrived, we walked to our usual spot and laid down the blanket to sit on. We remained there, in silent most of the time, just gazing at the beautiful colors that reflected the water from the fountain. It was utterly fascinating to watch as the color changed.

All the beauty was soon blocked out as we saw families laughing and having an amazing time. The pain soon started to eat away at us. My brother was the first to speak up. He simply stated, “I wish he had gone to see dad instead.” I nodded in agreement. My mother smiled at us, kissed us on our heads, and said, “I’m sorry babies.” We packed our stuff up and left with nothing but a crushed heart. I realized that day that I cannot relive moments, and feelings, from the past. My father wasn’t there, so it just wasn’t the same. Quammen stated, “I had imagined that a spring creek was a thing of sublime and succoring constancy.” Quammen’s spring creek was my fountain. I thought the same about that fountain, but I was wrong. Quammen was wrong. Heraclitus was right.

Quammen and I both came to the similar conclusion that Heraclitus was right. You simply cannot experience the same event, or feelings, twice. It is impossible because you are not the same person. You have changed, or at least your feelings have. The disappointment was hard to deal with but I’ve dealt. Quammen has too, I assume. At least we have the memories to cherish forever.