Photo Credit: © Can Stock Photo / dolgachov
Memories are elusive. When you stop to consider the premise of enjoying a good memory, it isn’t a long process. It’s a moment or a quick thought, like “I remember last summer on the boat.” Then, in that moment, you relive the wind in your face, the sun on your back, and the scent of sunblock on your nose. It’s a flash, a click of your internal camera—the snapshots of your life history. And then it’s back up in the cloud, waiting for the next retrieval.
Some people relish a good memory by meditating on it, re-creating the whole event in their mind. They think about getting in the car, driving to the vacation spot, seeing the beach come into view, and running to the shore as soon as the car stops. They attempt to re-experience the whole thing. I find this very difficult. It’s like praying—you can only concentrate for so long.
Attachable Moments
So, many years ago I devised a little system when I’m experiencing a moment that I am fairly sure will later be called upon as a memory. It’s similar to the methods in trying to remember names and being told to associate a picture in your mind when you meet someone. For example, you meet someone named Art. In your mind, you imagine a picture hanging in an art museum, and you associate the name with that picture. “Matt” might cause you to think about the welcome rug on your front step. You get the idea. With memories, I try to designate an “attachable moment.”