Memories Are Made of Fs

I'm sure I've mentioned before this great thing I heard or read somewhere about memory and how someone said something about how some things are remembered because of utilitarian reasons, some for no reason at all, and others, maybe, because we make a conscious effort to remember them.

I'm not sure, exactly, because the quote and whoever said it must have fallen into the second of the three because I sure didn't make any effort about remembering it for future citation. Still, it's true, and things in the second class are the best, anyway.

I can't help it. I'm intrigued by how inconsequential shit sticks in my mind for years and years.

I'm not sure if I remember it because I heard it so often growing up, or if it was just one of those things my mom said once, but quite often at three in the morning I remember my mom scolding me about "wishing my life away." I don't remember the exact wish of mine that incited that remark, but it may have been the typical "I wish I was grown up" thinking I believe lots of kids do. The only time I can honestly remember wishing time would pass quickly was once on July 4th when I was bored setting fire to snakes and staining the sidewalk and wanted to see some real fireworks.

I think of it often at three in the morning, though, when I wish it was five so I could get out of bed at a more reasonable time. Not that five is a such a good time to wake up, but it beats three, hands down. Three is just plain weird.

All of which has nothing whatsoever to do with any of the Fs referred to in the title. I was going to dazzle everyone with my knowledge of anatomy and talk about frenums (knowing full well that the plural of frenum is actually frena) and, then, show my insight by talking about how knowledge is frequently confused with simple memorization of terms.

I still think that, mostly because whenever any expert is consulted, they far often are only conversant with the specific and accurate names for things, which we all take for conclusive evidence of their wisdom. In fact, I think use of jargon or technical terms is pretentious, and mostly used to disguise or obscure insecurities, but I think that about lots of things.

In any case, the point is, using and insisting on technical terms, to me, is the exact opposite of knowledge. It's an old saw, but it's true, that being able to teach is the best indicator of knowledge. If you can't make a lay person understand what you're talking about, you don't know it very well. Hammering people with technical terms only makes you look like an ass, and not a very knowledgeable one at that.

Then, California wildfire season sprung on us, and everyone in the LA area who watched TV was treated to newscasters rambling on and reminding us all of two things:

1. Most newscasters, when not given copy to read, are indistinguishable from any other great looking person


2. Extra points are given any newscaster who mentions Foscheck

It can't be easy to fill several hours of broadcast time when there's, honestly, very little to say. Many of these news anchors, and I suspect they do it just to piss me off, spend an inordinate amount of time treating the reporters in the field as if they were absolute idiots by warning them repeatedly to "stay safe" and checking that they're wearing their goggles and masks.

Now I'll grant you that the reporters in the field have no more to say about wildfires than they do hurricane winds and rain, but I guess it's their lot in life to stand about outside when any sane person would be inside and offer inane comments about the most glaringly obvious of observations. Maybe they're all hoping to get a job with Fox News, I dunno.

In any case, I got my two Fs in, and even talked a bit about memory.