Recalling the time I spent in the ranks of the Resistance in France, I once again feel the genuine energy of every moment lived, when past and future merged into a single entity.

Defining Moments: When Crisis Shapes Destiny

Recalling the time I spent in the ranks of the Resistance in France, I once again feel the genuine energy of every moment lived, when past and future merged into a single entity. It was during those days—when life’s course was abruptly interrupted by an encounter with the police in the subway—that I experienced a moment of complete awareness, a reminder that even the briefest encounters have the power to change the entire trajectory of one’s life.

This encounter became a turning point—a moment when the need for immediate and decisive action sharpened my senses and made every second truly significant. In those hours of intense emotion, every detail and every decision reverberated deeply into the future, shaping me as a person. I truly understood that it is in these critical moments that the true essence of our choices is revealed, reminding us of the importance of being fully present in each moment, even when every step is shrouded in uncertainty.

In concluding this story, I must note that the experiences of those fateful days became not only a tribute to the past but also an eternal guide for understanding one’s life. They remind us that life is filled with moments that demand not just quick responses, but also deep inner wisdom and courage—qualities that remain with us for a lifetime.

What period of your life would you like to relive, and what does that experience mean to you?

I would like to relive the period when I was a member of the Resistance in France during the German occupation. That phase of my life left an indelible mark: every moment was charged with intensity and undeniable life energy, as past and future merged into one, and I could feel how each moment influenced the entirety of my subsequent life. It was precisely at the moment when the police stopped me in the subway that I experienced an intense surge of awareness and clarity—a feeling that continues to prompt reflection on my choices and on the person I have become through that experience.

This experience signifies for me the opportunity to understand the importance of those moments when life demands a quick and resolute response, and how such moments elevate us to an entirely new level of self-understanding and insight into our journey.

Supporting citation(s):
"During the German occupation of France, I was part of the Resistance movement, and once, while descending into the subway, the police stopped me. This stands as one of my most compelling experiences. Setting aside the romantic details of what happened and how it unfolded, I will translate this experience into more philosophical terms related to time. Here’s what happened: at that moment, I had a past, I had a future, and I was moving from one to the other, briskly descending the stairs of the subway; and suddenly, someone placed a hand on my shoulder and said, 'Stop, show me your papers.' And then several things occurred. First, I began to think very quickly, feel very intensely, and became aware of the entire situation with a clarity and vividness I had never before experienced on the last steps of the Métro station Etual." (source: link txt)