January Blog A Day: #10 Memory

Memory is an odd thing.  At least, my memory is an odd thing.

If you ask me about a conversation I had with you a few months ago, odds are probably 50/50 that I will remember what we talked about.   I will set something down and forget where I put it.  I'll go into a room and forget why I went there.  I'm obsessive about making lists, partly because it feeds my desire for organization, but partly because it keeps me from stressing about forgetting stuff.

And yet, if I hear a song that I sang in a college choir 20+ years ago, I will likely remember 90% or more of the lyrics and all of the notes that I sang as an alto.  I can sing TV theme songs from my childhood.  I remember the names of actors on my favorite TV shows way back when.  I can answer a surprising number of questions on trivial facts and information, particularly if it's about certain aspects of pop culture, but sometimes other things, too.

I wish that I had better long-term memory so that I could more clearly the good memories in my life.  But on the other hand, not having good long-term memory keeps me from having sharp memories of the painful times in my life, so that's the upside.

Sometimes I like to blame my children for my poor memory.  They may have contributed a little, but the sad truth is that I've never had a great memory for the events in my life, and I'm not sure why that is.  I suppose it's just how I'm wired.  I remember the most important ones, so I guess that will have to be good enough.