Today, I am thankful for those crucial reminders that we carry with us so we might never forget something significant that occurred in our lives.
No one of us can remember everything despite the sheer brilliance of the human brain. As the most intricate organ in the human body, the brain is responsible for our every thought, emotion, and response. As I write this sentence, my own cerebral mass of tissue is undergoing a complex set of activities and cross-cell connections. Although my brain weighs a little less than 5 pounds, the organ still contains over 100 billion neurons, or nerve cells, that seamlessly interconnect with one another, either in the central or peripheral nervous system, through a complex set of synapses. Thanks to these cells, my memory is ‘intact’ for the most part and, at least, for the time being. Despite its capacity, we still forget things – like the date of our spouse’s birthday, the name of a colleague at work, or to pick up milk on the way home. Unfortunately, our memory is often elusive, fleeting, and short-lived.
So, we give ourselves little reminders, mnemonics, or aids to remember certain facts, acronyms, or events. We wear rings on our fingers to remind ourselves that we are married (and also to signal to others to shy away from temptation). We place tombstones at gravesites to remind us that our loved ones are still appreciated. In fact, when someone dies in Greece, the saying my family utters signifies the importance of one’s remembrance: ‘May his/her memory be eternal.’ Historians serve as storytellers to remind us never to forget the past – and, in doing so, to avoid making the same mistakes again.
Yes, I’m grateful for those reminders of the past. Statues, monuments, and placards by the road give a visual to some person, place, or event that impacted our past in some way. Sticky notes and journal entries allow us to write down key facts as a reminder. Verbal phrases do the same.
‘I’ before ‘E’ Except After ‘C’.
ROY G BIV.
Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue in 1492.
No Taxation without Representation.
Never Forget 911.
Remember the Alamo.
In fact, on this day (Feb 23) in 1836, the Mexican army, led by General Santa Anna, first attacked 200 independence fighters in Texas. Following a 13-day siege of their mission fort, The Alamo, Davey Crockett, James Bowie, William Travis, and the other fighters were all massacred. ‘Remember the Alamo’ became a rallying cry in the ensuing battles that eventually led to the annexation of Texas. It still resonates nearly 200 years later.
Memory is indeed treacherous. I’m thankful for those little reminders that help to get our neurons firing again on all cylinders.
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