Comments on: World’s worst memory, world’s best memory

By: zantimisfit

zantimisfit — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 16:06:28 +0000

“E.P.” in the article reminds me a lot of my mother-in-law who has dementia (probably Alzheimer’s). She can’t remember what she can’t remember and it’s always news to her when we tell her she has a memory problem. The funny thing is that she can’t remember the stuff you would like her to and only remembers the stuff that gets her upset and causes strife in the house.

By: veetie

veetie — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 15:47:11 +0000

I seizures in the right temporal lobe of my brain that came on as an adult. When the seizures are active they reach into that lobe (short term memories are stored in there) and randomly grab out a piece of memory and erase it. If it gets to long term memory I am fine but short term is always at risk.

I can’t count the number of times where I forgot that I had an appointment or that I saw a movie. I used to argue that things did not happen because I had no memory of them. Now I just say well my brain erased it so it is new to me.

On the other hand, I can remember things from my childhood that others cannot. For instance, my sister and I went back to our grandparents old house once. We were invited in by the owners who bought it from my grandparents and I was able to tell what remodeling had been done on the house and the yard while my sister sat there in awe becasue she didn’t remember any of it. The new owners collaborated my memory of a house I had not seen in 15 years.

By: tami

tami — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 14:16:08 +0000

greenstrawberries, they still make simon, you can get it at target i’m sure. i know i’ve seen it recently.

By: greenstrawberries

greenstrawberries — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 09:38:57 +0000

I have photographic memory too. To an extent, I mean if the content has absolutely no connection to me, or I don’t understand it, I won’t remember it as well. But, even then, I will remember where information was on the page, the pictures on the page, the page number, etc. I am, however, HORRIBLE with names. I will remember your face, what we talked about, if I’ve seen your handwriting, I’ll recognize that (as a teacher, that’s a really good thing) but you’re name, nope, can’t remember it. If someone is wearing a name tag, however, I will be more likely to remember their name. (Generally, though, I have to close my eyes and actually picture the name tag to get the name, but, hey whatever it takes!)I just remember things really well. There was a game a number of years ago, Simon, where the game would give you a sequence of buttons to push and you had to remember it and re-do the sequence. I was REALLY good at that, I wish I had access to it again, I really liked that game.

By: Leah

Leah — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 23:07:31 +0000

I have a horrible memory!! I’m scared I won’t remember anything I’m learning in nursing school when I become a real nurse and I’m just going to blank out in a life/death situation and the patient is going to die because of ME. This is why I never plan to work in the ER.

My sisters also try to convince me that I’m insane because every time we talk about our childhood, no one ever remembers my stories. It’s sort of an ongoing joke with them. However, I can remember faces quite well. I always feel like a loser when I remember someone who went to Elementary school with me but they have no clue who I am.

By: Kelsey

Kelsey — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 23:02:32 +0000

On my first date with my boyfriend, we were talking about my bad long-term memory, and I made the statement “I’m bad at remembering dates.” Years later, when talking about an old boyfriend before him, I described a time that we had went to the movies. My current boyfriend exclaimed “How do you remember that? You said you don’t remember dates!” I had meant dates as in what I have to do on Friday the 3rd, not as in a date with a guy… he thought I never remembered any of the dates we’d been on!

By: GTT

GTT — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 22:16:02 +0000

I have what some people call a photographic memory. I can see something and then recall it with an amazing amount of detail. It worked great while I was in school as I read my notes once and could literally reread them in my mind the day of the test.

Song lyrics and movie lines are also hardwired into my memory from the second time I hear them. Oh, and I also learned the song caitlen315 was talking about (about the 50 US states… which is interesting considering I am not American and can only name a handful of Peruvian states).

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 21:33:03 +0000

Was going to comment but forgot what the article was about.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 20:18:24 +0000

“I remember useless things… The day John Lennon was shot (December 8, 1980 and, I wasn’t even born yet), the order of the Beatles albums in chronological order, stuff like that.”

That’s not useless! That’s essential!

By: Rosie

Rosie — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 19:47:25 +0000

We have that issue of National Geographic in the lobby at work and, I perused it on a really slow day… It was fascinating, the article about memory and the people it featured.

I remember useless things… The day John Lennon was shot (December 8, 1980 and, I wasn’t even born yet), the order of the Beatles albums in chronological order, stuff like that. I guess I have a knack for remembering things people say. Everyone loves when I write a blog and include funny quotes from people.

And then, I’ll forget the things I should be remembering… The check sitting on the counter to pay my Sprint bill, picking up the mail on my way home from work, etc…