Thursday, October 10, 2013

Selective Memory

Ah, the human brain--what a complicated and sly little trickster! Equipped with a Memory Box, it has a mind of its own when it comes to which ones get stored and which ones get tossed, and far be it from us to understand the criteria for each. A dear friend and I just had a little exchange about a dramatic incident occurring 30 years ago, and while he was merely a bit player and not the lead, he doesn't recall any of it while I clearly remember him as having a speaking part.

No matter, it's long gone--but it got me thinking about how we gloss over the facts and rewrite history whenever it suits us. Were it not for a little memory or two, entire lives could be different. Who knows--I might still be pals with my ex-business partner were I able to forget the hilarious sight of her undercover tag-team operation during the waning moments of our first and only company Christmas party. With her complicit husband waiting outside, she surreptitiously ferried an untouched platter of catered shrimp to his waiting hands as if it were the Olympic torch. But really, half of it was mine; would it have been so hard to say, "I want the shrimp, you take the leftover wine"?

I think of Operation Shrimp Run whenever I see her around town and it still cracks me up each time, so I guess it was worth it after all.

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