Is always simple past or present perfect?

Is it always simple past or present perfect? Ugh, grammar! It's a head-scratcher, isn't it? I mean, seriously.

Okay, so here's my take – and it's totally from a personal, slightly messy, definitely not-a-textbook perspective. See, I usually think present perfect for things that, like, extend to the present. For example, "I've always loved pizza" – that's ongoing, right? My love for pizza is still very much alive and kicking. But then, sometimes… sometimes the simple past just feels better.

Like, "I always knew you'd succeed." That just sounds more… I don't know, certain? More like a memory, you know? A warm, fuzzy memory of believing in someone, maybe even before they believed in themselves. It’s like remembering that feeling of unshakeable faith. Remember that time my little sister Sarah was convinced she couldn't ride her bike without training wheels? I always knew she could. And she did, eventually. See? Simple past, but the feeling's totally there, all nostalgic and comforting.

And it's not just that one example. Think about it - "I always went to the park as a kid." That's a finished thing. It's a recollection, a series of past events. It evokes a sense of completion, or at least a period of life that's over, versus a present-tense feeling of habit or ongoing action.

So yeah, grammar rules are…helpful, I guess? But sometimes, you gotta go with your gut, and what just sounds right. Because sometimes, the feeling is more important than the perfect tense. Don't you think?