Five Minute Friday ~ Remember

What do we remember? 

Memories... 

...which spurs me to think of the song, which then makes me think of the Broadway musical Cats... which I know I traveled to New York City to see as a university student, but of which I have very few memories.

Why do we remember?

I'm not sure. It is part of how God has created us, a gift He's given and yet at times it seems a curse or a blessing... or even both all at once.

For most of the day, I've tried to pull those memories of attending Cats out of the recesses of my mind and other than some familiar tunes and vague images of impressive dancing mimicking feline movement and probably most vividly - the actors sliding, prowling and pouncing through the aisles and among the seats at at least one point in the musical, I can't remember the plot, the key characters, actually hearing any of the well-known music... basically I have no clear mental images, nor even a clear picture of friends with whom I went to see the crazy musical. I think I stayed with a friend's aunt who owned a brownstone right off Central Park; I do remember Central Park and the apartment - but that very well could have happened on a different trip to NYC. 

How do we remember? 

In that, I'm basically clueless. I mean I've tried repetition, mnemonics, and due to recent Mentalist marathons chez nous I'm familiar with the idea of a memory palace (it does actually work). But the specifics? I don't know. Why do there exist other moments from the past, significantly more mundane, that I can recall in vivid detail with almost no effort at all. Some of them are memories I'd rather forget. Others are ones that have no clear significance. Why do those so readily float to the top while others remain submerged and striving to make them surface feels suffocating?

Thinking these thoughts, wondering about these questions throughout the day today - it has prompted me to pray for friends and family who live the loss and ache of loved ones with failing memory.

Linking up with Lisa Jo for Five Minute Friday.

Why don't you join the fun?