Gurnoor Kaur 10 - Power in Memories
I have seen the movie Inside Out many times and each time it never fails to leave me in both tears and awe. Watching the five emotions work hard to give Riley a seemingly normal life never fails to amaze me. Although, the thing I always find most intriguing is the memory orbs. The endless number of them that we keep inside of our heads is certainly astonishing to me. These simple yet complex memories that are created every second of our lives hold much influence over our daily lives. Not only do they hold control over our character but also the very essence of who we are.
Our memories hold more power than we give them credit for. Even something as simple as memorizing terms for a test requires our memory, and it is its level of strength or power that can determine if we pass or fail. The preservation of bits of experiences that have occurred over the course of our lives determines our identity, no matter how big or small. It forms the beliefs and values that guide us throughout our lives. Moreover, these memories often carry vivid emotions that are unique to each experience which can linger for a few days or even your whole life. These emotions often carry weight and are deeply embedded into our minds which can often help us experience the moment as if it were happening again. It is this that we often feel nostalgic for as it is these memories that are often cherished.
As a result, losing one’s memories can often be very impactful and leave permanent scars on a person. I have many relatives of my own who experience dementia due to old age and aren’t able to do many things due to it. This can not only be impactful to that individual but also to the people around them. My own great-grandmother has lost a chunk of her memory and can barely remember who I or my parents are anymore. This makes me feel sad every time I see her because she is unable to remember the many treasured memories we have had together. Not only is she forgetting parts of her identity and those around her, but also some basic motor skills needed for everyday life.
Your memory is a very powerful and important part of you and so it should be cherished and given as much importance as the other aspects of our lives.
Hi Gurnoor, this is really an inspirational blog and I totally agree with many of your points. First of all, I love how you start by mentioning the movie Inside Out as that is one of my favorite movies ever and a great representation of how memories hold value. In the movie, we can see how Riley's emotions are constantly being affected by her memories and how her emotions have to use her memories to make her feel a certain way. It was very confusing but a great representation of how our memories hold a certain power over our mind. Your point about the strength of our memory is also very valid. Every time we take a test, we rely on our memory to remember the facts and hope that we have enough stored in our brain to help us pass. Without this power of memory, we would know almost nothing because nothing we study would ever actually be used. Overall, I appreciate the points you brought up about memory and I can't wait to hear everyone's strongest memory next quarter when we write our blogs!
ReplyDeleteHi Gurnoor, Your blog was amazing and inspirational. I completely agree with you And how memory power has a great impact on our lives. I too have watched the movie inside out a couple times and every time I watch it it makes me happy, sad and cranky. I mean I love the fact that you talked about it and it makes me wanna watch it again. This movie was the perfect example for this topic, Riley’s emotions were always affected by her memory and her emotions were also used to make her feel the way she did. Without the concept of memory and having none we would forget or not know about anything in the next second. The brain would pretty much be useless and without memory we couldn't do any daily functions starting with just remembering to wake up and who you are yourself. Overall, your blog was amazing and inspirational. I can't wait to hear more from you.
ReplyDeleteHi Gurnoor! I was really intrigued at the mention of the memory orbs in Inside Out at the beginning of your blog! I, too, always thought the representation of memory in the movies being physical orbs that the characters can hold and cherish was such a creative way to do it. Memory really does define who we are as people, as they contain every bit of knowledge we have, or every experience we have ever been through. These things are exactly what shapes a person, their personality, world view, interests. Without any memories, a person would be as if a blank slate that can be melded. I liked your connection back to what you started your blog with, emotions! Memories and emotions tend to be intertwined, the effect they have on each other and humans being integral to a person’s being. Remembering certain events tinted by certain emotions creates clauses for handling future situations in response to that emotion. For example, a near-death experience with water could lead to being wary of large bodies of water later. I can also relate to your statement about memory loss and relatives having dementia. My grandmother has dementia and can’t remember who I am every time I visit. Similar to how you feel, it makes me sad to see that she isn’t the same grandmother who would take care of me and tell me stories as when I was younger. However, even if her memory is gone, her fond emotions for family remain, and that is good enough. Thank you for sharing, Gurnoor! I really enjoyed reading your blog, which made me think and consider my own life regarding memories.
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