(no subject)
Thinking about the nature of memory lately. It's slippery, elusive stuff. And I don't have the best memory for things that happen in real life. Books and Movies -- fantastic. Things that happen to other people -- people who don't exist -- are occasionally more vivid than things I experienced first hand.
I'm not sure what it means. Is it because I'm visually orientated? Is it a question of how I prioritize data? Is it because I feed so much superfluous crap into my brain, that the stuff that actually matters can't stick?
My grandmother, even in her last years, had a crack memory for things that happened in her childhood. Vivid memories, that I find I lack in my own recall. With the right trigger, I can pull up impressions, or flashes; but I'm never certain how much I can rely on them. In the case of certain 'family story' type memories, I'm not all together certain that I'm not just supplying images for a story that I've heard a million times before. Case in point:
Karen vs. The Bear
When I was little, perhaps four or five, my father (a wildlife biologist) took me to see a bear they had trapped for relocation. The bear was in a penned in area (I think I remember chain-link fence, though it could have been a portable trap) behind the office. Dad told me to be quiet and move slowly. He stepped around the building first and the bear ignored him. When I rounded the corner, the bear slammed into the cage. I screamed and jumped behinds Dad's legs for cover. Once it became apparent that the bear wasn't actually going to eat me, I stepped out from Dad's shadow, puffed up my chest, and announced, "Don't worry, I wasn't scared. I've got my superpowers!"
That story has been told hundreds of times within my hearing, and quite possibly thousands more beyond that. I've formed this memory to go with the story. The details are fuzzy, like the nature of the cage. Do I actually have an emotional response to this story, or have I, on repetition of hearing it, supplied one?
I'm not sure what it means. Is it because I'm visually orientated? Is it a question of how I prioritize data? Is it because I feed so much superfluous crap into my brain, that the stuff that actually matters can't stick?
My grandmother, even in her last years, had a crack memory for things that happened in her childhood. Vivid memories, that I find I lack in my own recall. With the right trigger, I can pull up impressions, or flashes; but I'm never certain how much I can rely on them. In the case of certain 'family story' type memories, I'm not all together certain that I'm not just supplying images for a story that I've heard a million times before. Case in point:
Karen vs. The Bear
When I was little, perhaps four or five, my father (a wildlife biologist) took me to see a bear they had trapped for relocation. The bear was in a penned in area (I think I remember chain-link fence, though it could have been a portable trap) behind the office. Dad told me to be quiet and move slowly. He stepped around the building first and the bear ignored him. When I rounded the corner, the bear slammed into the cage. I screamed and jumped behinds Dad's legs for cover. Once it became apparent that the bear wasn't actually going to eat me, I stepped out from Dad's shadow, puffed up my chest, and announced, "Don't worry, I wasn't scared. I've got my superpowers!"
That story has been told hundreds of times within my hearing, and quite possibly thousands more beyond that. I've formed this memory to go with the story. The details are fuzzy, like the nature of the cage. Do I actually have an emotional response to this story, or have I, on repetition of hearing it, supplied one?