Useless Information

The brain is a funny thing. At least mine is. I can walk from the bedroom to the bathroom intent on getting something and forget what I wanted by the time I get there. Yet I remember quite clearly that today is my father-in-law's birthday. So what, you ask? Well, the father-in-law in question died 30 years ago, and at the time of his death I had been divorced from his son, also now deceased, for 20 years. So, doing the math, the last time I needed to know his birthday was a really long time ago. Still, every January 26th it pops up, clear as day.

I also remember, many years ago, having a one-night stand with a guy named Jerry in Vancouver, although I don't know who he was or how I came to meet him in Vancouver when I went there on a trip with a guy named Michael. It's not like Jerry and I had a big romance to last the ages; that one night was it. (It also pretty much ended things with Michael.)

Why we forget important things and remember trivial ones is a mystery. I am constantly amazed that my husband, at age 65, has total recall of every kid from his third-grade class, knows with whom and when and where he had his first kiss, first date and first sexual encounter, can remember which license plates he has seen and which are missing out of all 50 when we take a road trip and he plays that game in his head, and still leave his briefcase with all his work papers and his computer sitting at home this morning when he left the house for a business trip to Philly. And hey, that's not the first time. (One guess who noticed and then had to drive halfway to the airport, still in her PJs and having had only one cup of coffee and also having to pee but there wasn't time, to get it to him in time to make the flight.)

Anyway, what was I talking about?