The storage capacity of the human brain continues to amaze me. More so these days as I get older because the long term memory seems to be getting stronger and stronger. Little details from the past are getting clearer and clearer. Can't remember what I had for breakfast, but fifty years ago, no problem. While on one of those long term memory trips I was reminiscing the other day about some of my past trips to Canada. I was lucky enough to have some great Canadian business friends who annually invited my brother and I to visit their facility. While visiting we were treated like kings. On one of these visits we were taken to a pretty French bistro for lunch, at least I think I could call it a bistro. On this occasion about 8 or 10 French men were enjoying lunch with us when my host, always eager to please, asked me how I was enjoying my meal, which on this occasion, was a plate of delicious frog's legs. It appeared as though everyone was waiting for my answer. Without thinking I blurted out, "I never met a Frog I didn't like". I needn't have worried about my little social disaster as those at the table roared at my fau pax. Why is this event still so clear in my mind?For some reason, this same host seemed to always delight in watching me devour food and drink. The wine glass was never allowed to go empty as was my plate. On another occasion, at one of Montreal's finest restaurants he discovered that I loved oysters on the half shell as much as he did. That's all he needed, plates of them kept coming until the poor waiter finally came to the table holding a plate with far less than the usual dozen. He explained apologetically that this was all the kitchen had left and that these were on the house.
Why is it that we remember these things as clearly as if it were yesterday. We certainly don't remember the pains of past tooth aches that well. Conditioned I guess to block out the bad and remember the good. I remember the home runs I hit, but for the like of me I don't seem to remember the times I struck out.
It is truly amazing how much information we have at our disposal in that thing sitting on our shoulders. Watching programs like Jeopardy I will at times come up with a correct answer that I have no idea why I should know. How is it possible for us to recall things that occurred fifty and sixty years ago. Look at all the experiences we've had during those years, and yet we're able to not only remember conversations, but even create visual pictures of things that happened so long ago. What a creation the human brain is. I wonder how big a computer hard drive would have to be to hold it all.
Oops! Just forgot something..........see ya!
