Memories

As anyone who knows me will tell you, I have an unusually poor memory in some cases but an astoundingly detailed one in others. For example, I rarely remember when I have a test or quiz. I'll walk into the classroom and say, "Wait, do we have test today?" and everyone else will groan. But I can remember random days from when I was as young as two. It makes no sense to me; I'd rather be prepared for class than know where I was on a random Wednesday seven years ago, but there's nothing I can do.

I should clarify that my long-term memory is selective; I can't remember every day of my life, but for some reason I can remember large bits and pieces. So I can remember:

"When we went to Grandma's birthday party when I was three, we went to a restaurant in Akron. It had vegetable-themed decorations, and we sat between a large asparagus pillar and the far right corner, slightly elevated. It was a buffet, and I had mashed potatoes. After that, we went to the art museum to see a display of glass sculptures and modern art."

Yeah, that memory is weird, but it's true. But I can't remember:

"We have a test this Thursday."

When we went to Chicago last February for a class trip, I kept recognizing places. No one believed me because I hadn't been to Chicago in over ten years, but I looked through old pictures and it turned out I was right. It wasn't just the Pier or the museums that I recognized, it was weird stuff like food courts and streets.

I would consider this type of memory to be more of a curse than a blessing. Even if you can remember things doesn't mean you should, or want to. I can't forget the past; I remember deaths, betrayals, and other unpleasantries equally vividly as good memories.

Plus there's the fact that no one believes me anyway, or really even cares what I did on the second day of summer break in 2003. I would rather be able to remember short-term things. My cramming technique for studying would be a lot more effective if I could actually remember the information, rather than my mind going completely blank when I don't have that information in front of me.