The Persistence of Memory

Memory sometimes has served me well. I didn't have to study too hard for tests in school, at least the ones that required only a regurgitation of information. Those tests made up the majority, as opposed to exam questions that required consideration. The recollection of people's names has come relatively easily, which sometimes can help to avoid awkward situations. I used to think others should remember me as easily as I remembered them, but I got over it.
Learning new tasks at work probably would have been more difficult had recollection not come easily. But having the ability to remember also can lead readily to boredom, since those tasks require less concentration than they would for someone who can't remember as well. So, memory has its upside.
The downside consists of having too much information. That can lead to fatigue. When you're predisposed to depression, you likely have experienced many more events that you'd rather forget than remember. Problem is, you can't. That post-electroconvulsive-therapy period, during which I retained only fragments of memories, while somewhat disconcerting, also provided a welcome relief from the tyranny of remembering. Maybe that's why drinking holds appeal. Alcohol can induce forgetfulness. I'm scared to quit drinking for good, because then I'll remember every fucking thing. "Ignorance is bliss" came from somewhere.
I've also noticed that different people remember the same events differently. So that's interesting. Except most of the people I know can't recollect things as accurately as I can. They think they can, of course, because that's their recollection. This seems particularly to apply to females. I think sometimes the differences may result from how we process events to begin with. If we didn't see the situation the same way to start, I suppose we never would have memories that agree.
Some people bend memories to extraordinary degrees to suit their preferences. I envy them. Many don't even do it deliberately. It must be liberating to have that kind of mind, the one that enables you to remember things how you want to remember them and not how they really occurred. And not even know you're doing it. That seems like a key to happiness, but I'll never know.