Busy times

It has been a busy few days.

This presents interesting challenges in this process of remembering every day that passes.

With so much going on, I am selecting my memory tags with care. I want one, or at most two, images pinned to each day of my mental calendar and so they have to connect to key aspects of the day.

So for 27 March 2012 the image is sitting at a picnic table as my wife waves to me. I am working on my laptop. My wife has just arrived with my parents and nephew. This reminds me that I was able to meet up with them at a park around lunchtime between meetings. It is a genuine event, not a construct. I never invent the image, but select it.

Another consideration is I can choose the feelings to associate with the day. On 26 March 2012, my wife and I spoke at a conference. My wife was speaking in her second language and became a bit lost in her notes. I was willing her to do well from the side of the room. My memory tag is someone coming up to her afterwards to discuss her talk. She had made a good impression. I want to encourage her in future and this positive memory is much more valuable than the nervousness I shared with her.

There is a danger of losing past days when too much is going on. I didn't have the time or spare energy to carry out the reviews that are part of my usual routine. When I was able, there were blanks that took a while to fill in. I'm not too concerned about this as long as I can fill in the blanks when I do have the time and energy. I don't want this process to be a distraction from living.

The final point is that being able to remember these full days is important. I am better equipped to do so now.