Memory is a faculty that forgets. Some people have a phenomenal memory. When you’re around them, you sometimes feel like you’re in the presence of a walking encyclopedia or almanac! I’m thinking, for example, of guys who can tell you who won the Stanley Cup in 1982 and even know the final score! And then there are others, like me, who need to find ways to remember everything and who sometimes need to have the same thing repeated to them several times.
I know I don’t have a very good memory. Well, I’m not like Doris in *Finding Nemo*, but I often need a little help. In fact, I really like how Facebook reminds me every day of what I posted on the same day in previous years. Aside from important events like birthdays, I don’t remember that two years ago I went ice skating with the kids and we had fondue for dinner, for example! I love that Facebook reminds me of those kinds of things. That’s kind of what photos do, too. I’ve always loved taking pictures. I got my first Kodak for my 10th birthday, I think, and back in my day Those were cameras that used film you had to develop! I’m far from being a talented photographer, but to me, all the photos I’ve ever taken hold a wealth of memories. Memories that my mind may have forgotten, but when I look at these photos, they bring them back, and I can relive events from the past.
Whether you have a memory like an elephant or a goldfish, sometimes you have to find ways to cope. There’s obviously a difference between forgetting to buy a pint of milk and forgetting a birthday. There’s also the frequency of these lapses. If they happen repeatedly, relying on external tools becomes even more essential. For example, it would be impossible for me to get by without a planner. I still use a good old-fashioned paper planner. I write down my whole life in it: my work schedule, my meetings, our appointments, the kids’ sports, competitions, friends’ parties… and so on. I’m also still in the “Post-it” era. Those little yellow pieces of paper that you can stick just about anywhere are a wonderful invention of the 20the century! I also love making lists, especially grocery lists, even though I have a great app on my phone.
The cell phone has become a vital organ… it’s impossible to live without it! It contains a lot of information that we no longer have to memorize. These days, no one remembers phone numbers anymore. I’m sure many of you don’t even know your mother’s number, your best friend’s, or even your spouse’s. I read somewhere that our memory has never been so far removed from our minds. I think that’s very well put, and it’s the reality. Our phones, tablets, and computers act as the external hard drive for our memory.