Peculiar, how memory works

[Harry Bloomfield]

If think back to the past, all I remember is small excerpts of things which happened, with no before, or after and not necessarily any reason for remembering things, which I find very odd.

Often the memory is triggered by something in the present - On TV I was idly watching something about the Hillman Minx. That triggered a memory of the only time I rode in a Minx, when I was hitch-hiking in my youth somewhere and given a lift. I remembered it being on the M1 somewhere, he got pulled by the police and the police wanted to know what the numbers written on the mudguards were, above each tyre. It was simply an ex-military Minx. Where I was going, where I had come from, just didn't figure as part of the memory.

I remember once walking with a full pack, along the sea front at Penzance, through Newlyn, through Mousehole and out the other side to a favourite camp site - but nothing before, nothing after it.

I remember (again with full pack) walking across the roads of Dartmoor, alone, in total darkness in the middle of the night and wondering at the brilliance of the stars.

I walked the Black Forest, youth hostelling with friends - again just one very short memory of a few minutes of climbing a hill, but no memory of any of the rest of the trip.

A school coach tour of much of Europe, all I remember of it was the Hall of Mirrors, the top of the Eiffel Tower and the coach stopping in a village to collect some much needed ham sandwiches, the rest is a blank.

My first girlfreind, but sorry that is xxx sensored.

Strange how memory works, in such short interludes?

 

[bernardgreen]

My first girlfreind, but sorry that is xxx sensored.

Only triple X mine was XXXX,

 

[diy_fun_uk]

If think back to the past, all I remember is small excerpts of things which happened, with no before, or after and not necessarily any reason for remembering things, which I find very odd.

Often the memory is triggered by something in the present - On TV I was idly watching something about the Hillman Minx. That triggered a memory of the only time I rode in a Minx, when I was hitch-hiking in my youth somewhere and given a lift. I remembered it being on the M1 somewhere, he got pulled by the police and the police wanted to know what the numbers written on the mudguards were, above each tyre. It was simply an ex-military Minx. Where I was going, where I had come from, just didn't figure as part of the memory.

I remember once walking with a full pack, along the sea front at Penzance, through Newlyn, through Mousehole and out the other side to a favourite camp site - but nothing before, nothing after it.

I remember (again with full pack) walking across the roads of Dartmoor, alone, in total darkness in the middle of the night and wondering at the brilliance of the stars.

I walked the Black Forest, youth hostelling with friends - again just one very short memory of a few minutes of climbing a hill, but no memory of any of the rest of the trip.

A school coach tour of much of Europe, all I remember of it was the Hall of Mirrors, the top of the Eiffel Tower and the coach stopping in a village to collect some much needed ham sandwiches, the rest is a blank.

My first girlfreind, but sorry that is xxx sensored.

Strange how memory works, in such short interludes?

I can't be ar5ed Googling it, however it maybe has something to do with the brain either not having the capacity and/or desire to retain every single moment from our past 90+% of which is boring. I'll sometimes say to people 'it's weird what your memory retains' when discussing stuff from years gone by. Like you, I have many snippets. For example, sorry to lower the tone, I worked in a large factory in my early 20s. It was a semiconductor place so we had to get in to and out of 'clean suits' at the start and end of shifts.

This new women started, looking back she was probably in her late 20s early 30s. She ... was ... gorgeous! Now, I don't remember anything about her (day to day interactions), however I remember one snippet. We were getting out of our clean suits end of shift and she bent over in front of me. To say I got a good view of her (.) (.) is an understatement. Just about passed out!!!

So yeah, although I use a jokey example, I suppose we all have these snippets that our brains retain forever.

 

[Mottie]

You have that memory stored in another part of your brain. It’s called the 'wánk bank'.

 

[conny]

I can't be ar5ed Googling it, however it maybe has something to do with the brain either not having the capacity and/or desire to retain every single moment from our past 90+% of which is boring. I'll sometimes say to people 'it's weird what your memory retains' when discussing stuff from years gone by. Like you, I have many snippets. For example, sorry to lower the tone, I worked in a large factory in my early 20s. It was a semiconductor place so we had to get in to and out of 'clean suits' at the start and end of shifts.

This new women started, looking back she was probably in her late 20s early 30s. She ... was ... gorgeous! Now, I don't remember anything about her (day to day interactions), however I remember one snippet. We were getting out of our clean suits end of shift and she bent over in front of me. To say I got a good view of her (.) (.) is an understatement. Just about passed out!!!

So yeah, although I use a jokey example, I suppose we all have these snippets that our brains retain forever.

My 'similar' one was of a woman about 10 years older than me at the time, so maybe early to mid 30's. She used to wind the copper coils and we, (the lads), used to step over the feed wires so they ran between our thighs then we held them bunched together as we fed them around the formers. It looked as though we were having a p*ss to be honest.
Anyway, this 'young' lady decided it was the best technique for keeping the wires straight as she wound the coils. Over goes the leg and I catch a glimpse of knickers. To a young lad that was a good day! Later on she was using more wires and as she cocked her leg over I was watching, (purely to make sure she didn't hurt herself of course), when she caught her shoe between the wires. The more she struggled to get herself sorted the more, (and longer), did I see. She had a great sense of humour and said afterwards, "You can look but never touch. Thats my husbands privilege." She used to often torment after that with the occasional flash of her very skimpy knicks. Was sorry when she left.

 

[securespark]

Only triple X mine was XXXX,

That's why you can't remember....too much 4X......

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I can't be ar5ed Googling it, however it maybe has something to do with the brain either not having the capacity and/or desire to retain every single moment from our past 90+% of which is boring. I'll sometimes say to people 'it's weird what your memory retains' when discussing stuff from years gone by. Like you, I have many snippets.

I don't think it's a matter of only remembering the notable things which happen to you. It seems to be that the memories become deeply buried and need a trigger to bring them to the fore. Memories coming to the fore, or reminiscing - has always caused me problems, if I allow it. I can be watching a film, or reading a book and off my concentration goes if a memory is triggered. My eyes will continue reading, but the brain will be off on a different subject.

Maybe it's the brains way of refreshing or rewriting our memories, rather like the DRAM computor memory - which needs to be read and rewritten to maintain it?

I've heard it said, that false memories - people having the memory of something which never happened is possible. I suppose that might be akin to a dream, where the dream is retained as if it is a real memory?

I sometimes wake still remembering quite vivid dreams and even try to hold onto the details out of curiosity, but even my best attempts to remember my dreams are doomed - an hour of wakefulness and all memory of it is gone.

Strange thing, the brain.

 

[Munroast]

I can remember things well from 50 years ago, but short term can be a little dodgy, sometimes I will walk into a room and can't remember the reason why I have done so. 'what have I come in here for?' it is a bit disturbing, a slippery slope towards the care home

 

[securespark]

I've been doing that for years.

Forgetting what I went downstairs for and having short term memory issues. I think the short term memory is just lost for the mundane stuff.

For example, I can't remember what I ate for breakfast a couple of days ago. But if I'd met Lord Lucan in my local Tesco Express the same day, I think I'd retain that memory.

 

[jj4091]

I would have thought that sort of thing is perfectly normal. How many times have you driven somewhere but could not remember the journey.

 

[diy_fun_uk]

I've heard it said, that false memories - people having the memory of something which never happened is possible. I suppose that might be akin to a dream, where the dream is retained as if it is a real memory?

I sometimes wake still remembering quite vivid dreams and even try to hold onto the details out of curiosity, but even my best attempts to remember my dreams are doomed - an hour of wakefulness and all memory of it is gone.

Yes, I've been adamant about things that happened in my past (it was me who drove them to the wedding!) only for people to remind me we all went on a mini bus

Yeah I wish we had a way to record our (nice) dreams as some of them feel so real and vivid, would be great to watch them back. As you say, you get up and think 'I must tell x about that dream' and later in the day most of the detail has usually gone.

 

[Justin Passing]

It always reminds me of a festering cess pit, you never know what old turd is going to come to the surface.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I can remember things well from 50 years ago, but short term can be a little dodgy, sometimes I will walk into a room and can't remember the reason why I have done so. 'what have I come in here for?' it is a bit disturbing, a slippery slope towards the care home

I don't think that is necessarily an age thing. I often go in the pantry or utility next to it, where the big freezer is, intending to get one particular item - I then think of something I need to get out, forgetting the original item completely. Set of to the pantry to get potatoes, realise in there I also need dog biscuits, get the dog biscuits, but completely forget the potatoes

I long ago started saving myself time and effort, by just putting things in piles on route to where they needed to be taken. Things such as items to go up stairs get stacked on the stairs until I need to go up, tools to go back out to the garage, get stacked just inside the side door.

I'm at my worst, when going out, trying to make sure I take everything I need. phone, wallet and etc.. Having said that, I am much better/much more careful than most in taking care not to lose things. I just never do that - go on a bus, I check I still have everything I got on with as I get up - I do likewise everywhere I go, before I leave - check.

 

[fivearches]

I can remember things well from 50 years ago, but short term can be a little dodgy, sometimes I will walk into a room and can't remember the reason why I have done so. 'what have I come in here for?' it is a bit disturbing, a slippery slope towards the care home

It would worry me as well if I arrived in the toilet and thought this.

 

[Munroast]

It would worry me as well if I arrived in the toilet and thought this.

after you have been sitting there for 15 minutes you remember you're there to fix the ball cock - the big question is, do you charge the customer for that 15 minutes or admit some of the marbles are awol?