Remember when?

I have mentioned previously that the great fear of Boomers is Alzheimers, and as we age and have what I hope are normal lapses and slowness of memory, we wonder if these are "early signs." But in general, it is interesting what people find memorable. I often find myself having little or no recollection of events and details that others whom I was with remember vividly, even if the events concerned me, yet often remember the most inconsequential data. I am a little familiar with the neurobiology and cognitive psychology describing memory processes, but it is the ideosyncratic nature of what is meaningful that often facilitates processing and retention that is fascinating. Though for many it is sometimes (sadly) as simple as "how does this affect me," sometimes it is not. For example, my wife yesterday showed me a picture, probably taken about five years ago, in which I was wearing a cow suit along with a top hat (as apparently the cow suit alone was not distinctive enough). Now that seems like something I would remember (especially since I don't drink), and indeed I have some general recollection of the occasion, but why couldn't I remember what was likely a unique and festive if not embarrassing occasion for me? Even in concentrating, I can only conjure the vaguest hint of a memory. In fact, I can only deduce when it probably occurred using a memory mnemonic that is central for me in answering when questions. I suspect this method is commonplace, especially as one ages: organizing and deducing times relative to known temporal landmarks, or what I call "timeposts."

In trying to remember when something happened, I will generally try to place it in the context of a particular phase or event in my life. For example, if I want to remember when the first Star Wars movie was released, I'll think who was I dating at the time, where I was living, or other known details of my life or noteworthy events that will serve as time parameters. I am constantly deducing "whens" relative to timeposts, and I know some others do too (as with parents calculating their children's ages), but I don't know how common or conscious these activities are.

There are a relatively small number of timeposts that organize the temporal elements of my memories, and perhaps contribute to my perception of life being lived in phases. For kids, there are a lot of timeposts, such as school grades/teachers, birthdays/parties, and many other time posts that I think contribute to the sense of time passing more slowly when younger. I know that recent evidence suggests that there is a neurobiological dimension that contributes to the perception of time speeding up as one ages (and how often do you hear we old folks complain about how fast life goes by), but I wonder if a declining rate of "timeposts" also is a factor. Fewer timeposts may also contribute to the phenomenon of finding it easier to place memories in the more distant past than more recent past.

If your are in college, it is likely that the date of your graduation will be an important timepost for you. And you'll be using it in no time.