Do you remember?

I had been asked recently by a friend if I could remember certain times, events, and occurrences that we had been part of. Memories that we both shared. Yes, I remembered.

I realised that it is memories that evoke emotions and actions in us, whether good or bad. It is because we remember that we love, hate, hurt, seek revenge, laugh, cry…

Our brain has, however, been known (and proven) to block out certain memories – especially ones that are too traumatic or painful. But we do not forget all the bad stuff. Actually, try as we might, we find it quite impossible to block out some memories that we’d much rather forget. How does our brain make this selection? What gets locked away and what remains in the archives? I wish I had more control over this process.

Without memories, every experience would be new. It would be like having a clean slate and starting afresh every single day. Would that be so bad? I wonder.