"Cups" Cover: "I'm Gonna Miss You"

This is my version of the "Cups" song performed by Anna Kendrick on "Pitch Perfect", originally by Lulu and the Lampshades. ~ I played with the lyrics a bit to tailor this for my friend CZ, who's leaving Calgary (again) to go back to Berkeley. ~ Thanks for teaching me the cup thing yesterday! Please try to get past my incompetent singing. ~

Memory, Revisited

Because one post just wasn't enough. ~

The importance of memory in society today has been greatly diminished. ~

Educational systems have begun scorning rote memorization, arguing instead for more inquisitive-based learning. ~ Shakespeare speeches are no longer committed to memory and recited flawlessly. ~ Formula sheets are given and detail such equations as F= ma or even a² + b² = c². ~ Information is literally just a click away - on that shiny new Android device or that sleek new Ultrabook. ~ (Some self-criticism here - I own a Samsung Galaxy S II phone and an ASUS ZENBOOK Pro Ultrabook.) ~

It seems that with as technology advances in leaps and bounds, our minds shrink back to accommodate the very devices that are intended to accommodate us. ~ We rely so much on writing and digitization of data that perhaps we're losing the sharp edge and descending into laziness when it comes to thinking about the daily parts of life. ~

In my own life, I've realized how terrible my memory has become in relation to my new university schedule. ~ I recently registered for all my classes, spending a good few hours slaving over the timing, professor ratings and available option courses. ~ Just a week later, when a classmate asked me what classes I was taking next semester, I found myself unable to name more than three of the five courses each semester, much less the professors teaching each course. ~

That's why I'm skeptical to the typical advice of "just write it down!" to remember "it." ~ Day planners, agendas, online calenders... Admittedly, they're great tools, especially for busy university students/workers; however, I cringe when I see people scheduling in things such as "walk the dog" or "practice piano." ~ If we have to write down every single thing in order to remember it, activities beginning losing their meaningfulness, especially because I believe that looking forward to a special event contributes to half of its appeal. ~

Yet in today's society, we don't need to memorize something, so we don't. ~ Things are more accessible, cheaper, routine. ~ We have the nice, warm safety blanket of the notebook in case our memory  falls through. ~ I'm not trying to undermine the achievements of modern society - far from it. I'm as avid of an agenda/calendar-user as the next perfectionist, and I take notes that are so detailed, they may as well be a regurgitation of each lecture I attend. ~ Rather, I'm trying to draw attention to the inevitable flaws that accompany our very Western thinking - forward-driven and always improving our tools to facilitate our lives. ~ There is no legitimacy placed on the human memory anymore, because the goods delivered by consumerism provide an easier, more appealing means of remembering things. ~

So what are we losing? ~ A valuable skill, for one. ~ Indeed, the feats of memorization of our ancestors become truly remarkable when compared to the fact that best friends can no longer remember each other's phone numbers or birthdays without checking their contact list or Facebook. ~ See, back in the day, the epic poet Homer delivered oratories for hours on end, when a writing system hadn't been concretized as it is today. Yet somehow I can barely remember how I worded the starting sentence to this blog post (do you?). ~ In the past, memory was not just a convenience, it was necessary to pass on culture and traditions. ~ Sure, memory is fallible, which explains how myths have been blown out of proportion, but memory also helps each individual mold a story in their own mind and add a personal touch that just isn't the same as linking someone to a subreddit or online news article. ~ Indeed, there's something about memorization that's profoundly intimate. ~ When you memorize a text, you don't just study it - you absorb it, play with it, modify it to your own needs and tastes. A memorized piece of work no longer solely belongs to the author anymore - it belongs to you just as much as to the creator. It's personalized. ~

A devil's advocate might argue that memory is the exact opposite of personalized - it's rigid. ~ For instance, let's go back to rote learning. For anyone who's ever struggled in a class and miraculously discovered that simply memorizing the formula or idea could mean a pass on the exam, it's evident that memory can sometimes help us bypass the very important process of learning itself. ~ Yet in reality, memory should be treated as a much more fluid process than simple repetition. ~ It's becoming familiar with something - so much so that instead of simply knowing a fact or an idea, you begin developing synaesthetic connections to it - such as making up a mnemonic for the Linnaean classification system (Katy Perry Came Over For Great Sex, anyone?), or remembering a person based on their scent, or visualizing a scene from a novel when caressing the words of the story on your lips. ~

Memory can also denote some interesting aspects of a person. What we choose to remember (because I think memory is often a choice) reflects what type of person we are. "Forgive and forget." We often erase or modify the worst memories we have to soften their blows, and that's a healthy thing to do. However, over long periods of time, memory can indeed end up distorting the truth, which can be harmful to the overarching, lifetime process of self-discovery. ~ That's where writing down things comes into play. ~ Reading back on my old blogs is not only a trip down memory lane, it also shows me how my writing style has changed, and how deep down I'm still very much the same person. ~ As always, there is a fine balance between pure memorization and total digitization/documentation of our knowledge and memories. ~ But it sure wouldn't hurt once in awhile to reinforce those neuronal pathways and spend some time getting to know pieces of information by heart. ~