Memories
Ok, I was posting a response on Steve's blog about Red Light-Green Light, and that got a whole slew of childhood memories coming up to the surface. It is amazing the things we remember from childhood, and the things we forget. For example, I remember the yard of our house in Georgia, and the layout of the house. I remember my Mom learning to make fried ice cream one year, and I remember making forts out of the kitchen table. But I don't really remember parties or celebrations, or any of the big stuff I am sure happened there.It is funny how the mind works, how we store away memories and experiences for recall later. You would think we would either remember everything or nothing, as that is how data storage is supposed to work. But instead, we remember imperfectly, with some memories remaining clear and crisp, while others fade into oblivion. Heck, we even change our own memories sometimes, choosing to remember something as we wish it had happened, until the original memory is forgotten for the new one. We convince ourselves that this is the truth.
Then there are the things that can trigger memories. Like seeing something that reminds you of something else, or, like now, talking about one thing, which unleashes a chain reaction of memories you thought long buried. But how does that work? Is there a finite limit on how long memories will last? They fade over time, but is that because newer memories push them to the back, crowding them out, or is it something else? Why is it that memories like those from childhood that you never think about anymore can come back so clear and real? Are the memories really fading, or just being filed away for future reference, with some of them getting misfiled or the "card catalog" getting the wrong notation, so we can't find them again?
Or memories shape us, make us who and what we are. They influence every decision we make, every step we take in life. They contribute to our confidence and are the root of our weaknesses. They define our sense of self, so why are some, usually the more trivial, the ones that remain so clear, so easy to recall? Is it because the trivial memories simply supplement the major experiences, put them in perspective so our minds can properly process everything?
And what will we remember about today? Last week? These memories are still sharp and easy to recall, but they will slowly be pushed out by newer, more recent memories. Last year is fuzzier than yesterday, and will get fuzzier still next year. But yesterday will become last year eventually, and will fade as well. What will we remember 10 years from now? Maybe that is why blogs have become such a big thing -- the obsession with memory and capturing it before it has a chance to leave us.