"...said the joker to the thief..."
How do we recognize anything? People, places, memories...those few key things that are indelibly part of our lives, that seems to be the essence of experience.
The only analogy I can think of is taste, or smell. One is not the same as the other, and they are each incredibly sophisticated and unique. You can't compare any two, except at the most superficial level. For example, imagine comparing the taste of Thai red curry with that of a fresh-baked cookie?
Other things I find in common between taste/smell and memories/people:
- You never forget completely
- It's very easy to have a lasting impression, with no warning at all.
- Something can be just what you've always searched for, without ever really knowing exactly what it was you had in mind.
People can leave similar impressions as well. Memories of a particular smile, or laugh, or wry glance, are more timeless and precious than I can say.
I'm starting to understand Thatha a bit more, now. He always says "Bless you", but when I asked him, he laughed and said his blessings weren't for us. Now I understand a little better...I think he was saying that his blessings are us. Our friends, those we love, they are sacred in a certain way, and more than we can ask for.
Music has a similar impression sometimes. Right now, it is the desi-like version of All Along the Watchtower that was played in the last episode of Battlestar Galactica. I love that show for the music alone.