skip to main content

The Kitchen Table

Memory is a funny thing

perennialfan275

6 years ago

Do you ever wonder why some memories we can still remember, while others we forget? I was thinking about this today. As we get older, we start to forget a lot of things, but some memories will persist and we will not forget them. We also have pictures and stories that may help us remember these memories, and we also have friends and family who might help us remember something we've forgotten. I like to think that the memories that persist are the ones that had a strong emotional impact on our lives. Whether that feeling is happiness, sadness, anger, etc doesn't matter. If you were affected (emotionally) by this memory, there's a good chance it will linger on for some time. Unfortunately, memory is a lot like the weather. It's extremely random and you don't really get to choose what stays and what gets forgotten. Sometimes I wonder why I remember some things but I can't remember others. What I mean is, some memories I remember very vividly, while others I've almost completely forgotten. I still have bits and pieces, but for the most part the memory is gone (if that makes sense). Anyways, what do you think about this? Why do we remember some things but other things we forget?

Featured Answer

Chi

6 years ago

I think it's exactly as you said - it's easier to remember when there's an emotional attachment to it. I can remember such minor things from years ago but sometimes have trouble remembering what someone told me a few days ago.

My grandma is in her 70's and is having some severe short-term memory issues. She will ask me the same thing 3 or 4 times within a 5 minute conversation, but her long term memory is still incredibly detailed.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

Lars
6 years ago
I believe that you lose short-term memory before you lose long-term memory.

I remember going to a health store in San Francisco around 1980, and the person working there said that if I took lecithin, I could improve my memory. I told him that I wanted something to help me forget, as I remembered too many things. I still remember a lot of things that I wish I could forget. I never forget anything that was embarrassing to me. My mother and her mother never forgot anything that they regretted, but I try to be more like Edith Piaf:
Related Discussions
A funny thing happened on the way to the forum...
Q
Comments (10)
I read this yesterday. Today, I put on a pair of nitrile gloves and started seeding buckets full of hot peppers - red jalapenos and the like - to start a mash for fermenting. I'm doing this outside, face up wind in the breeze, having learned my lessons over the years. So after an hour of this, the cell phone rings, so I dig it out of my pocket with the dripping wet gloves, answer it, then return the phone to pocket, thoroughly coating the phone with hot pepper membrane juice, and keep going. Phone dries off, I finish up the peppers, two hours later,. You can see where this is going........
...See More
It's funny how things work out.....
Q
Comments (21)
Desertsteph- Yes, by "water" I mean the plumbing. We have a slab foundation, so that would require jacking up the floor, etc. Along with the money, I would save time by taking out that process. There actually isn't a window by the cabinetry, just over by the breakfast nook. And no, the order had not gone in so I'm fine. I was waiting for you, Buehl. I feel you might be holding your tongue. How do you like that protected cook area? The only cons I've come up with- Right now the DW is on the left. Not sure how I feel about it since I am right handed. Flooring. While I love the look of wood floors, I'm terrified of putting them in the kitchen (we are messy). However, that is what I want in the FR. Would it look like crap to do tile on the kitchen side of the beam and wood on the other? I have never had an island. Except for my apartment days, I have had alot of floor space in my kitchens. Not sure about the 4' aisles. Can it function with more than 1 cook? I thought about creating a separate thread about this. Should the trash go beside the sink, or on the island (prep area)?
...See More
Not funny things that happen at the last minute
Q
Comments (2)
Will the mattress still fit, or is that two inches longer, too? Better check before cutting. Do you have a circular saw? That will go much faster than a hack saw. I just spent weeks cleaning up my son's old bedroom to prepare for his visit with his girlfriend. That room had become a catchall. It's important not to exhaust yourself before the visit so you can enjoy your time with your sons. Good luck.
...See More
Trics our parents played -- funny memories
Q
Comments (27)
When we 4 kids were quite little, we had our Christmas tree presents on Christmas morning. Our father would have been up helping assemble toys and liked to sleep in, so the routine in our house was that Santa stopped with gifts on Christmas eve, and then a 2nd time. Santa would stop by again on his way back to the North Pole and leave the larger gifts that were not wrapped. Dad had to have his coffee first, and then he would announce that he could hear Santa arriving from his last rounds, so we had better go upstairs so Santa could stop by with his gifts. We had to stand at the top of the stairs, and we could not see anything downstairs with the way they were enclosed. On this last visit of his route, Santa entered our front door. Dad would answer the door, and we could hear Santa jingling around the living room as Dad had a one way conversation. "Yes, Ellen has been a good girl this year and knew her addition table well. Brian was working hard to remember to clean up his room. Sheila was a good girl too, but she needed to eat her vegetables at dinner without complaining. Maureen was being very good taking a nap every afternoon like Mommy says." Then Dad would wish Santa a safe return trip, and slam the front door. That was the signal that we could dash downstairs. Under the tree were wonders to behold, large, bulky and unwrapped. Years later as teens assigned to decorate the tree, we came upon the jingle bells, still wired to the store display card. Our Dad was quite the one for telling stories and keeping things lively.
...See More
User
6 years ago
Wow, I was just today trying my best to remember someone from way back when I was a kid and just could not remember it. He was a slumlord and very eccentric - he used to pick up rotten fruit that he found on the side of the road and give it to us. So he was eccentric and kindhearted but he lived like a homeless person and he was actually a multi-millionaire.
eld6161
6 years ago
I don't have a good memory, yet my fraternal twin sister does. I can ask her things from our childhood and she remembers them!

Some are fortunate to have good memories.

That said, I agree that short term memory goes first. Maybe it's because the longer something is in your brain, the better chance it will be remembered?
Elmer J Fudd
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
My mother was a big Piaf fan and she had several records played until worn out that I heard when growing up. My favorite song was (and is) Milord.

Memory is funny, it is selective, and I'm not sure that how it works is yet well understood. I don't remember "everything" and I don't think I ever did, A long term marriage and many long term friendships provide instances for me to be in discussions about past experiences and events and often things come up that I've forgotten about. What I do or don't remember doesn't seem to fit any particular pattern and I'd say the same is true for those others too.
User
6 years ago
I have memories of things that scared me when I was very young, 3 years old. Fear and remembering that fear probably keeps us safe. A learned lesson.

Related Stories

LIFE The Beautiful Thing About Dad's Chair

By Mitchell Parker

My father had his own spot in the house. His father had his own spot. Now I have mine

TRAVEL BY DESIGN Making New Memories at a Midcentury Palm Springs Hotel

Travel back in time at the restored Desert Star while you’re visiting for Modernism Week

LIFE How to Handle Inherited Things You Don’t Really Want

By Jennifer Ott Design

Whether you’ve inherited a large collection of items or a single bulky piece of furniture, it’s OK to let it go if you don’t need or want it

LIVING ROOMS Room of the Day: Family Memories Fill a Casually Elegant Parlor

By Becky Harris

A homeowner renovates her grandmother’s Boston home with love and meaningful touches

DECORATING GUIDES Say 'I Do' to Beautiful Wedding Memory Displays

By Charmean Neithart Interiors

You'll love and cherish these creative vignettes, artwork and more that keep the happiness of your special day at hand

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 10 Compact Decks, Patios and Porches for Making Memories

By Annie Thornton

From Florida to Hawaii, Houzz readers show us how they capitalize on their petite outdoor spaces

HOMES AROUND THE WORLD My Houzz: This Swedish Actor’s Home Is Full of Memories

By Sara Norrman

Urban and family history meet in this Stockholm apartment, tied together by beloved, timeworn objects

ORGANIZING Simple Pleasures: Preserving Analog Memories in a Digital World

By Laura Gaskill

Too often our photos and mementos accumulate in computers and in piles. Here’s how to free them up to be displayed and enjoyed

LIFE 21 Things Only People Living With Kids Will Understand

By Mitchell Parker

Strange smells, crowded beds, ruined furniture — here’s what cohabiting with little monsters really feels like

FUN HOUZZ 14 Things You Need to Start Doing Now for Your Spouse’s Sake

By Mitchell Parker

You have no idea how annoying your habits at home can be. We’re here to tell you

Sponsored

More Discussions

Lettuce and salad greens avoidance?

162

Friday/Weekend Quiz

9

Smile today - 8/8/26

5

Sunday Brain Game

13

Weekend Music Part 2 - Looking Up

9