Memory ... (Not from Cats)

I'm reading a book right now called "Moonwalking With Einstein". It's all about memory, and how human society has moved away from the need to memorize things internally.

It's really fascinating and quite true. In the days before books, humans had to memorize information that needed to be passed on. It was vital. Now, we trust that everything is available at a moment's notice, and because of that, we find that we memorize less, and our ability to memorize falters.

I have to present parts in French. What does that have to do with memory? Well, my ability to memorize anything except useless trivial information is bad; terrible, in fact. So, add to that the need to actually speak in French, and I find myself reading everything from the printed page rather than speaking extemporaneously. I hate that. And I hate that I have to search for every piece of info...every scripture...every magazine tidbit that I need instead of being able to recall it with ease.

Unfortunately, I have finished 70% of the book (according to my Kindle) and am no closer to improving my memory. Oh, I have learned a lot about how memory works and how there are some memory pros out there who compete in freakish contests of memory, but I haven't learned the tricks myself.

And yet I find myself meditating on the benefits of having a trained memory. Imagine being able to quote scripture (in English or French) with book, chapter, and verse as easily as you might order lunch. Imagine being able to give a 30 minute talk from memory, without looking at notes. Imagine remembering the name of the person you have met at work no fewer than 20 times. (Guilty..)

We live in a society where we value convenience, and are completely satisfied with having snippets of information spoon-fed to us rather than a deep understanding of a subject. We prefer 30 second bursts of info rather than an intense "digging into" a matter. I'm as guilty of this as anyone, as my ADD causes me to flit from one subject to another like a bee buzzing around a garden. It's annoying, and it causes me to worry about what my memory will be like in 20 years...heck, in 5 years!

The time has come. It is time to begin the search for memory. It is time to learn something extraordinarily useful. From never needing a shopping list, to not needing to consult my iPhone for someone's number, to remembering how long I've been married (kidding!!), the training of my memory seems to be a noble undertaking. So, after doing a bit more moonwalking with Doctor Albert, I think I'll get down to it. Mnemonics is something that requires effort. Maybe that effort will reward me in other ways. I just hope I remember to study.