We say that it is our memory that makes us human. We do not mean by that only human are endowed with memory. Animals also have memory. A dog will remember the intricate commands it has been taught during training and will use them when and where required. Squirrels will remember where they buried their food (at least most of the time). Finally, the memory of an elephant is proverbial. But human memory has many features that takes it beyond that of animals. What are some of these features?

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How many of us, during high-school and universities, have wondered at our ability to retain so much material, retrieve it, and be able to write our exams and pass?

I first studied pharmacy. In the first year of pharmacy, I had 4 subjects: chemistry, physics, botany, and zoology. Each subject in turn was made out of a few related topics (with different professors and different books). For example, chemistry included physical, organic, and inorganic chemistry. Physics included heat, optics, sound, electricity & magnetism, and particle physics. Same deal for botany and zoology. Then, there was the lab work. I carried an experiment once, and if this experiment came on the exam, I had to remember what I did a few months ago. I could repeat an experiment if I was sick on that day, or for revision purposes, but not all lab work lended itself to repetition.

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Memory connects the events of one period with those of the next period. It allows us to remember our children, spouses, siblings, and friends from day to day. A person after an accident may suffer from amnesia and need to be reintroduced to everybody in her life. It’s sad to witness such a situation; and it reminds us what a precious possession our memory is.

The example I like to give is that of a vacation. If I went to Europe for a month, and visited many countries and places, what is the most precious thing I bring back with me? My memories. Sure, I can take many pictures and keep a detailed diary. But these are only tools. They help my memory. Personally, I feel that a vacation pays dividends mainly as memories that stay with us for many years.

Take a child of 4 to Disneyland and he will go wild. Ask him at 7 what he remembers, and you will realize that he only has vague recollections of the whole thing. Take that same child at 7 and again he will go wild and remember the trip many years later. If you have the funds and energy to take him at 4, 7, and 10, well, that’s even better!

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Our genetic makeup will govern our personality; but it is not the only factor, or the main one. To a large extent, it is what we learn during our life, and store in our memory, that will make us who we are.

A small child will gradually store in her memory the words of her mother tongue and use them to intelligently communicate. Memory is not a blunt instrument; even at a young age we can learn from past experience what is desirable and what isn’t. We can then use that faculty to express our desire. An offer from mommy of strawberry and cream is readily accepted by the little one; whereas mashed carrots and chicken is greeted by a “no, I am not hungry.”

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Memory plays a vital role in human interactions. This being the case, can we determine its different facets? Put another way, just as we use the same tool to do different tasks, and provide examples of what this tool can do, can we do the same thing for our memory? I can think of four broad aspects.

1. The positive side of human memory.

   This simply means remembering the good done to us and being grateful. It does not necessarily means returning the favor.

   Two years ago, I was hospitalized. My ex-wife had just moved to a rural area, my son was very busy and travelled a lot, and my daughter lived in another city. Does that mean that I was all alone? Not at all. I had two friends who came everyday to the hospital. They brought food, the newspaper, and other reading material. When I was discharged, they took me to doctors’ appointments. They also brought groceries and cooked food. My brother and my sister-in-law came from Montreal twice to help out. My son, despite being very busy, did his share of work. I had at the time two roommates who provided me, when required, with assistance. Finally, the excellent care provided by the staff at the hospital was second to none, and is appreciated to that day.

   It’s unlikely I can return the favor to any of these people. But, no matter. I have in a corner of my memory a shining light. And that’s what makes the positive side of human memory such a beautiful thing.

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