I love my memory

I am amazed at the functioning of the human brain. The process of evolution has endowed us with a versatile memory sink that has an infinite storage capacity. Incorporating Moore’s law to the Darwin’s theory of evolution, a later version of human brain must take less that a nanosecond to calculate the square of a thirteen digit number. The jargon used is only an indication of my adoration for the human brain.

However it’s functioning, I would say, is rather biased. Ones ability to access the different memory locations in the brain is varied. I can remember every interaction that I have had with a specific person. Probably one night’s effort I can compile all the interactions in a chronological order with the minutest details incorporated. It sometimes scares me when I realize that I even remember, for example, if I look back at my “hostel night”, one of those zillion occasions…I remember the number of servings of Manchuria we had; the order of the songs that was played on my comp; the clips of the movie-“The Wonders” that we watched; the leaf cup in which the starters were refilled; the red top and how it was portrayed to me with that oomph; the gesticulations and the insinuations; the smell of the dress; basically every little thing that happened. For me it acts like a time machine that can teleport me to that day, giving a videographic experience, and I am able to relive every moment of it. I remember every minute of the last football game in my hostel quadrangle; my first night out in IIT; my first driving classes from my dad….

However, there are other things that are forgotten in spite of a conscious effort to retain them and also being repeatedly reminded.

The process of receiving and storing a piece of information, an event or a photograph; it is allocated and is written on different memory locations. However the recovery/ recollection of information is prioritized. It is all treasured in the brain and also can be retrieved anytime. One need not be a fanatic or a monomaniac to be able to do it. All that it takes is the drive and want for it

So can I use the degree of retention and recollection of my interaction with a person or a thing as an index to how much I love or value them in my life?