Oops, I forgot!

[Philosophy mode] Along the path of life, time creates experiences & memories that last. Well they’re supposed to, but with my memory it’s a different matter. I think slightly muffled might be a better way to put it.

It’s like I can remember all the stuff that really matters in life, just with some of the details missing. Yet, if someone else mentions a missing detail it all comes flooding back.

Call it “selective memory” similar to “selective hearing,” in that I only remember the good bits, & don’t hear the rest. It comes in quite useful at times, & at others its a right pain in the arse. Unlike selective hearing, selective memory is not a choice.

[Psychology mode] Any bad bits are worked through & moved on from first, so they don’t turn into a sack of spuds over the shoulder. After that it’s automatically recycled into memory mush. That’s a good thing as long as you move on before the mush moves in.

[Crappy solutions mode] There are other problems with my memory too, for example not being able to remember:

• Names
• Places
• Faces

Which can be a bit awkward when I meet someone new, & I’m supposed to be able to remember where they came from. Double trouble.

However there are workarounds:

Names: Sometimes word association works, & sometimes it doesn’t. Simply because I forget the original name AND the name I’ve associated it with.

Although I have found the method above works better if the associated word is a naughty word.

For example, someone called Richard would be a Dick.

Note: I’ve got no answers for other people’s names for their pets. If they were all called Ben it would be easy.

Places: Forget it!

Faces: Ah, now this is a good one, I can remember a face if it looks like someone else’s, for example a TV personality. But there are 2 potential pitfalls to that. Firstly I have to remember the name of the TV face it looks like. And secondly calling Brian “Keith Chegwin” at some point could be highly embarrassing.

And yes that scenario has happened, but I can’t remember who it was. What I can remember is that it was my best mate who goofed on that one not me. However, I was stood next to her at the time & had to back her up with reasons excuses.

Oh & there’s one I’d forgotten till now. (Revisiting details that did it). Remember the card game Happy Families? Well if people don’t mind being related, examples include the likes of:

Mark the Spark

Mark Bee

Mark Em

Tony the Mop

Liz the Wiz

Mike the Spike

Dave the Rope (that’s my Dave)

Heth the Feth (me)

Yes, there’s lots of Marks, however the latter 2 are remembered by others with similar memory problems. All of the above (except us) are REAL people, & have been mentioned many times on this blog when we were at St Mary’s marina.

In summery summary then: I’ve really enjoyed writing this, it wasn’t the intended post for today, but I’ve forgot what that was.

(Which reminds me I’m supposed to be Hoovering up).

So good night & god bless to all those who can relate to this particular impediment. And may the force of memory resurrection be with you…