I have always been known for my strong memory. Friends, family, and even casual acquaintances have commented on it over the years on how I can recall details from years, even decades ago, with a clarity that surprises them. It surprises me too because I always assumed everyone could remember past events with the same vividness. But that's not true. Many of my ex-school friends barely remember incidents from our school life. I remember names too. When I look at past photos, even ones from decades ago, I can point out who is who. No, I don't spend my time reminiscing or dwelling on the past. The details are just there, fresh in my mind, ready to be plucked whenever needed.
A photo with my school friends from 34 years ago. Many have become successful individuals in the community. One person has gone on to become the Director of the Malaysia Public Works Department, and another, a pediatrician.
I don't just remember past events. I remember the emotions and the atmosphere associated with those events. You could say that I'm a sensory person or someone with an eidetic memory because those vivid experiences still live within me. It could be anything—a song playing in the background, the scent of rain on warm pavement, the gentle breeze swaying the leaves, the color of the sky on a particular afternoon, or even the call of a lonesome nightbird that woke me up in the middle of the night when I was four.
Sometimes, it feels like a gift. It allows me to tell stories with depth and remember people and moments with an intimacy that others often lose to time.
Several months ago, my ex-schoolmate invited me into their chat group. I was delighted to reconnect with old friends I hadn't spoken to in more than three decades. We talked about many past incidents, mostly funny moments from that time in our lives. I told stories as if they had just happened recently. Many friends come to me when they need to piece together an old memory, to recall things they've long since forgotten. In many ways, I have become the keeper of our shared histories.
However, it is not always easy to carry so much of the past. You might think nostalgia is a wistful feeling, but to me, it's a lingering echo of what once was. Memories often return unbidden, resurfacing with the right song, a familiar scent, or a sudden shift in the wind. And sometimes, it feels like I am standing at the threshold of two worlds: one that has already been lived and one that I am trying to step into. Moving forward can be difficult when the past refuses to fade quietly.
I make art and write to make sense of it all. My poetry and art are more than just venues for self-expression—they are my way of processing, seeking closure. I have the habit of revisiting the same themes and emotions again and again until I have finally made peace with them. Only then can I move on, allowing the memory to rest. It is like closing a book. I don't erase or discard these memories; they will always exist within me. They just no longer hold power over me.
Perhaps, through all of this, I am learning how to honor the past without being held captive by it. My memories shape the person I am, but they do not confine me. And maybe, in sharing these stories—putting words or images to what lingers—I can find a way to move forward without leaving anything behind.
The handwritten draft of this post.
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It's amazing how people like you tend to remember and recall the past like it just happened yesterday. When I was in college my friend and I talked about her first love and said that she almost forgot about that guy, but the funny thing is, I still remember their relationship and how devastated she was when they broke up, haha. I even mimicked the lines she said years ago and then there she was , speechless and stunned asking me how did I still remember those when she a almost forgot about that past. haha, you are right! It's a gift and it allows us to bring back the memories that once hurts us and made us happy ❣️. I can recall most of the memories that happened years ago, but why can't I remember the math subject thought by our professor hours ago? 😂 That question always lingers on my mind back when I was still studying, hehe 😅.
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thank you so much 😊❣️
That's an interesting thing isn't it? Why can't we remember most of the things we studied back then? 😅
You are indeed a good keeper, not just the picture itself but the stories behind it too. It makes us smile to remember the good old days. Funny yet precious ☺️
It comes with its own pros and cons. The pros allow us to remember the precious things, but the cons also mean we remember the heartbreaking things.
I've been keeping also my pictures during highschool days, the best days being in school, so fun to remember what we did especially if we did something crazy, though not all good experience they are also bad but still is nice to recall the past.
I agree. We remember not just the good stuff but also the not-so-good, embarrassing things we would rather forget. As for me, I have strong memories of medical trauma too, and they manifested as anxiety and mild PTSD, things I never talked about openly in my posts.
That's an impressive gift having a strong memory. Not just events but also the emotions. People with this kind of ability are rare, It must give you a unique perspective on things and allow you to connect in special ways.
You are right, it's a multi-sensory memory which I also found out is not a very common thing. God has been kind and good. I'm sure there is a reason for this gift.
Truly extraordinary. Whatever the reason, just embrace that special gift 😍
How great to have such gift like yours. I can relate to remembering memories like a familiar scent and music. Then it will take you back to the exact times where and how you were. Such lovely memories make you want to go back. It made you laugh, cry and happy.
Yes, you are right, music is a great way to anchor us to a specific event that happened in the past. That's why we feel nostalgic when we listen to certain songs.
YOU are blessed with good memory but for me my memory has change after i undergo my surgery and other medical procedure.
That's right. Some times medical procedures and health challenges can alter our ability to remember.
I admire people with good memory because I am not. I like the lines "I honor the past without being held captive by it" which is very true. Your past are the experiences that molded you to become who you are in the present.
I can remember details from as young as 2-3 years old. I thought it was common and everyone had that ability, but I was wrong. Many of these fragments of memories are very vivid, and all I have to do is close my eyes and spill out the details: what was the weather like, how I felt, what I wore, snippets of conversations, etc.
⋆ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ ғᴏʀ sᴏᴜᴛʜᴇᴀsᴛ ᴀsɪᴀɴ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ ᴏɴ ʜɪᴠᴇ
⋆ sᴜʙsᴄʀɪʙᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀsᴇᴀɴ ʜɪᴠᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴛʏ
⋆ ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀsᴇᴀɴ ʜɪᴠᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴛʏ ᴠᴏᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʀᴀɪʟ
⋆ ᴅᴇʟᴇɢᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ʟɪɴᴋs 25 ʜᴘ⇾50 ʜᴘ⇾100 ʜᴘ⇾500 ʜᴘ⇾1,000 ʜᴘ
That's right. Some of my friends had since passed away, and my recollections of them brought comfort to us. We laughed, we cried, and we remembered them as they were.