Closely Held Memories

twoton

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Do you have memories or experiences so special that you're afraid to share them with anyone because you're afraid they'll lose some of their luster?

I've been thinking about this lately. There's a spot near my house that has some uncommonly beautiful scenery, and it's not easy to get to, and I've told people about it. They want me to take a picture but I won't because you can't fully appreciate it without going there yourself.
 

NCbear

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Two responses:

(1) We use the phrase "rose-colored glasses" for a reason. Our memories are often vivid because of the emotion we felt at the time--which of course helped to ensure that we remembered that particular moment.

(2) Our memories are selective, based on what we noticed at the time, in the moment, feeling what we felt. Because of that, it's difficult to analyze our memories retrospectively; while looking back, we simply notice again what we noticed before that prompted us to make that particular memory.

That said, if we temporarily dissociate the sensory aspects of our memories from the emotional ones, we can sometimes reinterpret the sensory aspects of our memories and make new memories enriched by the new insights.

NCbear (who knows what you mean about not wanting to dull the luster by sharing the special memory--it's yours only, and it's meaningful only to you)
 
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