Memories

The ability to remember is a truly profound aspect of the human mind. Our memories define who we are more completely than any of our physical attributes or interactions with other people. We find it easy to ignore such aspects of our lives when we are alone, in an independent setting. However, we continue to possess our thoughts and memories, from the time we wake to a bright morning to the time we enter a deep, blissful sleep.

Our memories serve many purposes in our lives and are instrumental in our successes. As children, we may use our memories to learn the correct etiquette, always remembering to say “thank you” when presented with any gift. As high schoolers, we push our memories to the limits, attempting to remember every obscure fact for the next test. Perhaps when we are older, we will use our memories and experiences to make wise decisions about life-changing matters, such as choosing a college or a job.

Our memories can evoke strong positive or negative emotions in us. We may fondly remember sitting beside the fire, enjoying a meal under the stars. We might shudder at the time that the whole class ridiculed us for failing an exceptionally easy test.

We possess such a large assortment of memories that includes many notable events in our lives. Yet we fail to remember much from our years as toddlers, years in which we developed vital skills such as speaking, reading, and counting. We have no account of learning such skills, even though learning these skills is likely far more significant than anything we actually remember.

It poses the question, what determines what we remember? Is our memory just a random subset of all the events that have occurred to us?

Although our memories may seem disjointed and random, I believe there is some semblance of a logical structure to them. We keep events that pertain to our responsibilities and ambitions in the forefront of our minds. I remember the questions on my math test last week much more clearly than the food I ate for dinner last night because performing well in school is one of my major goals and eating dinner is something I simply take for granted. Likewise, Tim O’Brien is able to remember events like Kiowa’s death so clearly, as he feels that it was his responsibility to help protect Kiowa and the other soldiers. O’Brien omits the twenty years after the war because no event that occurred in those years had the same magnitude as the traumatic events of the war. O'Brien states that "the thing about remembering is that you don't forget" (22). Even though our memories are constantly changing, we never forget the memories regarding the events we are most passionate and emotional about. These memories will always travel with us, as long as we continue to believe in their significance and impact on our lives.