In the novel Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood, the author reflects on the nature of the past through a thought-provoking quote. It suggests that experiencing the past in real-time often feels constraining and burdensome, rather than charming. This implies that the weight of our experiences can overshadow their beauty while we are living them.

Only when we step back and view the past from a distance can we appreciate it as a decorative element of our lives. This shift in perspective reveals how time can transform the way we understand and relate to our experiences, allowing us to see them more creatively rather than being trapped by them.