Who hasn’t wished to go back in time? If only for a moment, you could strap yourself into the Wayback Machine and travel with Mr. Peabody and Sherman to a significant date in your past. So you could make a better decision, see something differently, say the right thing, hold that thought, reinterpret a nuanced message, hit delete rather than send, smell your infant baby’s breath or your grandpa’s cigar?
You can, sort of, with memories. In this regard, individuals living with dementia, who often cannot remember the present from one moment to the next, may have the upper hand. Essentially they live in the past. Their uncluttered and uninhibited minds may journey through past experiences regularly, maybe even with comparatively more clarity.
All things considered, it always makes sense to back-up your most important life experiences with personal journal entries, photos and by sharing with family and friends. Don’t trust your memory to save all your memories.
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A non sequitur on the subject of memory — about amnesia and déjà vu: Given the choice, would you desire to experience the absolute best moment of your life and then completely forget it happened? Or would you accept never actually experiencing the moment in return for having the memory artificially implanted?
I love the concept of backing up memories! I don’t have time for journaling, but have saved every letter every written to me since I was a girl. Now people don’t write letters, so I just compile favorite emails between myself and loved ones. Already, I have reason to treasure many of them. And yes – I’m going to need a warehouse someday.