3 A.M. WISDOM

"In the wee, small hours of the morning,
when the whole wide world is fast asleep,
You lie awake and think................"

There's something about those wee, small hours that teases our brains into thoughts that seem so wise, so obvious, so absolutely right . . . how could we not remember them? Act on them? Take them as signs?

My recent wee-small wisdoms concerned Memory. 

Popular wisdom accepts memory loss as something that just happens. Every family has anecdotes about what happened when Great Aunt Ethel lost her memory. (It's not talked about nowadays.) Or when Grandpa Harold wandered around town and the family had to call the police to find him.

Hardly anyone ever mentions that young folks also have their memory lapses. Young Jimmy next door pulled a Grandpa Harold and wandered off and nobody thought anything about it, though I heard the kid had a painful experience sitting on wooden chairs for a few days. Then there was the time Cousin Clementine eloped and forgot her luggage. She wasn't elderly, but she was no spring chicken, either, at 45.

Those explanations and accepted "proofs" of memory loss don't stack up for me. So I offer another view of the subject.

So let's suppose--just suppose--memory operates on a "needs to know" basis. 

Here's an example: If I'm not going to use my car keys today, do I need to remember where they are? Not really. They'll still be there (wherever there is) the next time I plan to go to the store and need to drive myself.

Here's another one: Why would I need to remember how to make chicken croquettes, unless I'm planning to serve them? Or, perhaps, teach someone else how to make them? 

In the Big Scheme of Things, there's a whole 26-volume set of encyclopedias' worth of knowledge that I don't have to remember, just in case somebody wants to know. (Ever heard of Google?)

Like most people, I have a short list of Things I Need to Remember, such as:

--where the unpaid bills are located
--whether I've eaten, taken my pills, and checked the mail
--what sounds emitted by the refrigerator, washer/dryer, and vehicle are normal

(There are more, but right now, that's all I need to remember.)

Does that mean I'm too old to live alone? Do I need a minder? Am I safe to drive, use the telephone and Internet, take my pills without supervision?

It means I'm following my motto of remembering what I need to know.

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Let's flip that coin over--one side is "Remember," and the other side is "Forget."

Is it ever okay to forget things? Sure, why not? If you and I try to remember every absolutely-bloomin' thing, how will we get through a day? 

It's also called "Taking Things for Granted." Think about it--do we have to remember to get up in the morning? Eat once in a while? Nap if we feel tired? Go to bed when it's dark (that's if you aren't on a different shift)? Do we have to remember that the sun comes up in the morning, and goes down at night? (Never mind the science lesson--we've done that one before.)

There's also "Living in a Different Reality": Most of us remember to put on regular clothes before we go outside, but a few will wear what passes for pajamas anywhere and everywhere. (If you don't believe me, just go to the mall or Walmart or the grocery store and people-watch. See?) Do they get arrested? Is there a line of people pointing fingers and tittering? Not likely. They didn't forget. Their reality is different from mine.

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The next time you're awake at 3:00 A.M., rummage around in your mental attic and see what pops out. You may surprise yourself. You may have a good time with memories that have run off and hidden themselves because you didn't have time for them during the day. 

If you forget them the next day--that's okay, they don't have to hang around. It's all in the "need to know" basis. Remember?

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Have a blessed week! (Just a reminder..........)