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Opinion

Taking Time To Remember

By JOHN GATHRIGHT


思い出す余裕を作る

筆者は最近、物忘れがひどくて悩んでいる。といっても、個人の忘れっぽさは大惨事にはつながらない。困るのは、国民全体が忘れっぽく、過去から学ぼうとしないことだ…。

This year my New Year's resolution is to cure my forgetfulness. That may seem like a simple goal, but lately my bad memory has caused me much concern. Last year I went so far as to book an appointment with a doctor that specializes in memory lapse problems.

My problem started innocently enough; I started forgetting little things like picking up groceries for dinner. But the list of little things I couldn't keep track of seemed to grow every year

What finally made me go see the doctor was my parking incident. I went to the store in my wife's bright pink Honda convertible. As usual, I was short on time, and a hundred other things whirled about in my brain. I parked the car in the parking tower next to my office and ran off to the store. I made my purchases, flagged a taxi and rushed home to write a newspaper article.

The next morning when I went into the garage I stood dumbfounded: Someone stole the car! Then it hit me not stolen, forgotten!!

If I am this forgetful at 35, I dread how incapacitated I will be when I am elderly! "How can I prevent my memory from deteriorating further?" was the first question I posed to the memory doctor.

He assured me that my "bad memory" is just a problem with associative linking. He told me that there are relatively few elderly people with true age-induced forgetfulness. The stereotypical forgetful old person has lost interest in daily life. Daily routines are so mundane that she or he stops paying close attention!

The doctor said that the secret to a good memory is creating interest in what you have to remember. For example, on your shopping list, don't just think "ice cream," but "sweet, white ice cream on your nose." A "school notebook covered with lipstick kisses from your favorite girl" is much more memorable than "notebook." This is called linking. It works great for daily life and for studying for tests, too!

It takes time to make things more memorable. There is an old cliche that time is a luxury that few can afford. I disagree. It is a necessity not only for individuals but for nations as well.

For most individuals a little forgetfulness does not spark major disaster, but if you consider forgetfulness on a larger scale it is a different story. Have you ever noticed how fast major events of national concern seem to vanish from the nation's collective consciousness? The Aum cult could be dangerous to forget. The Hanshin earthquake would be foolish to forget; we would find ourselves unprepared for another major quake.

The Kyoto COP3 environment conference, if soon forgotten, will cause disastrous consequences for the earth. Did you know that 70 percent of the population can't remember what they had for lunch three days ago? Pretty amazing when you think about it!

We only live once, and if we are too busy to remember what's going on in our lives enough to enjoy it, or learn from it, then in the end our existence won't carry much meaning - or could be shorter than we thought.


Shukan ST: Jan. 16, 1998

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