One more day and she’ll be swimming across Irish screens again, that ditzy fish from the best film everrr. The abiding memory of Dory from Finding Nemo is that she has no memory.* A plus and a minus for the little Paracanthurus hepatus (just looked it up). On the plus side, her life is full of surprises.
On the minus side, her life is full of surprises.
That’s got me thinking about the pros and cons of a retentive brain. Obviously one of the big pros is happy memories. Or so you’d think. But – does anyone else find this? – even happy memories can be strangely sad, a sort of brain version of the sepia on old photos. Another advantage of a good memory is remembering school work. Sort of. Until you get to my age and wake up gibbering at the memory of that French exam question you answered in perfect German.Then there’s remembering where you put things. Very useful for keys and swimming hats. Not so good for the chocolate Hob Nobs your mum bought for Aunt Mariah’s visit. If only you didn’t remember that they’d been put in your stomach before she arrived.
So, as Dory will no doubt remind us (without knowing it) on Friday, forgetfulness can have its moments. Like my grandpa’s inexhaustible wonder on a springtime drive years ago. ‘Look at the blossom,’ he said, smiling. Ten seconds later: ‘Look at the blossom,’ and a few seconds after that, ‘Oh, look at that beautiful blossom.’
*(not true: apparently fish can remember certain sounds for five months)