If there is one thing I know for sure about myself…… it is that I have a faulty memory. Sometimes, what I want to remember, I can’t; other times, what I never needed to remember, I do. If I am conscious about making something memorable, then it will surely be remembered. If I am not at all conscious of it, then it will most likely end up in the abysmal pit called iForgot.
One of those things I really wish I could have in my memory’s grasp is my whole childhood- in full HD. Amongst the few scattered memories I have is one of my eldest sister doing a memory experiment on me. I may not recall all the details but I am absolutely sure that it changed me. It made it clear that my memory, like everyone else’s, was and would continue to be malleable.
It was one of the many experiments that my sister did on us obedient, oblivious younger siblings; There I was: Specimen X; That particular day’s experiment: to test if I could remember random mini-stories tied to each of the numbers from 1 to 50. She had it all planned out, ready with the full list scribbled on her notebook. Naturally, I expressed enthusiasm and willingness to abide by her rules like most kids would. She was probably 20 or so at the time, meaning I was probably 10 or so. She took the persona of a therapist, sat me down in a comfortable chair and began. She would say something like this:
“Number 1: a fat black cat is on a neighbour’s tree meowing loudly, like that cat next door. Number 2: a red telephone in a house next to the tree is ringing continuously- louder than the cat outside on the tree. Number 3: next to where the phone is, a curious toddler is crawling under a table as high as this one here(she would point the dining table in the room), and a glass of passion juice is almost tipping over to the carpet…………”
And she went on and on, tying each story to another, until she got to 50; Then came the punch line- She wanted me to try remembering all the mini-stories backwards or in random picks. I meekly attempted. I was intrigued by my new ability (though faulty) to remember things I did not need to remember on a normal day or for an exam. And to top it up, it was actually a fun ‘game’ and funny too. I did not score 100% but I remember feeling quite accomplished that afternoon. I hadn’t done too badly for an unsuspecting kid. I was learning a great deal about how to remember things through stories and visual pictures in my mind. My sister made sure she related each of the stories to each other and sometimes, to reality(…like the cat next door;..as high as this one here…); that way, I could relate to them, imagine them in my mind and recall them better. This one ‘silly’ little experiment, had taught me that I could use my creative imagination to help etch things into my mind- Applause for my sister J.
I learnt how to change the Bakers to bakers as Joshua Foer explained in an impressive TED Talk: Feats of memory anyone can do. I definitely agree with him. Good memory is indeed achievable to anyone and everyone. My sister knew this too. It was exactly what she was trying to teach me those many years ago; So, in memory of that ‘memorable’ experiment (pun and alliteration well intended), I am attempting a self-imposed one: One that will reduce the need to ‘outsource memory services to modern technology’, as Joshua Foer calls it; One that will challenge the memory tricks learnt over the years; One that will be based on the following:
- Remember the names of all new people met, indiscriminately.
- Memorize the registration numbers of all means of travel used(includes cars, buses, vans, motorbikes etc.).
- Memorize all useful numbers related to everyday life (Includes Bank account numbers, ATM card numbers, family and friends’ phone numbers etc.).
Well, I hope that I will be successful in remembering to remember.
