October 12, 2019 - 29 - "Memory"

     Memory is a funny thing.  There are subjects where my memory is near-photographic....and others I can hardly remember a thing.  

     There should be some correlation  between how important something is and my ability to remember it, but that's not always the case.  For me, the areas with the biggest lapses of memory are often the most important.  And the things I remember perfectly are pretty useless; and frequently not good for my overall health and happiness.  

     I have, for example, an almost encyclopedic memory of what Michael has said and when he said it.  It's very useful for winning arguments, but pretty counterproductive for just trying to be happy.   

     I also can remember the lyrics to any song I've ever loved...and many I do not.  1970's television and radio ads are pretty much hard-wired into my neural pathways.  They are lurking there ready to be triggered by the smallest thing, at the least appropriate moment.  

     Sadly, my spatial memory is nearly non-existent.  I spend a lot of time asking hotel housekeepers where the elevator is.  (Those hotel hallways all look the same.  Different ugly carpet, but equal degrees of ugly whichever direction you turn.) 

     You know that card game, Concentration?  You turn over two cards, make a mental note of where they are and turn them back over.  Later when you turn over more cards, you're supposed to recall where their matches were and make pairs.

     I don't think I have ever won this game.  

     I guess I get distracted.  I  end up talking, or looking out the window, or maybe singing in my head: "Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there."  Then I 'come to' and my opponent is saying:  "It's your move."     
      Forget knowing where the cards are.  I barely know where I am. 

     This is why I hate flying the galley position on flights.  Those galleys have a million bins, and cubbies, and carts.  And within each of these are millions of plastic inserts  (kind of like drawers) which contain millions of items in each one of them.  (Okay, maybe not millions, but...a lot.)  I might have just seen the drawer that contains the trash bags.   A coworker will say:  "Where are the trash bags?"  I will say:  "Oh, I just saw them!"  Then stare at alllll those cubbies and bins and carts and have no idea where they are.

     I've looked into memory-building techniques. 

     But I never seem to remember to practice.

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"You never realize what a good memory you have until you try to forget something." 

-Franklin P. Jones 

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"Right now I'm having amnesia and déjà at the same time.  I think I've forgotten this before." 

-Steven Wright 

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