Would you rather lose all of your old memories or never be able to create new ones? Why?
By Addison Rohrbacher
This question is especially difficult for someone as young as I, however, I feel as though childhood memories make the person they are today. Memories hold the mistakes from which I learn from, the countless barriers that motivate me to achieve more in the end than I thought was possible, the good and the bad and everything in between. The memories that I hold provide a door that I can always escape to. Recalling visits with Great Grandpa allow me to share a special bond with my sisters. Even though I have many milestones to cover, if I didn’t have the capability to create new memories, I would have enough to make my happiness and well being last.
Without the ability to create new memories, I would simply make the most out of every moment and enjoy every second of it with the people I remembered to love most, giving me the same love they demonstrated in my memories.
Mr. Baker
Memory is often thought of as being something very personal to an individual. After losing my grandmother to Alzheimer’s disease three years ago, I have a better understanding as to how someone’s personal memory can affect others. Losing old memories can be incredibly painful to others, especially those who participated in the creation of those memories. It was very difficult to see my grandmother forget the stories that she had previously told a hundred times or the names of her own children and grandchildren. You tell yourself that it’s nothing personal, it’s just the disease talking, but you can’t help but feel deflated and defeated when you’ve been all but forgotten. However, even more painful than losing memories is watching someone experience something new and not be able to recall anything. People often think that having someone forget their old memories is a horrible experience, but I believe that the true horror arises from being unable to make new memories.
While I have always considered myself to be very blessed with having a positive childhood experience and journey into adulthood, I have to believe that there are so many more positive experiences to come in my future. It hurts to think about the possibility of giving up so many memories: spending time with my grandmother when she was alive, vacations with my family, Christmas mornings, meeting my fiancée, etc. Luckily, I would still have the possibility to spend time and create new memories with those that love me; I would still be able to look forward to my upcoming wedding, and, eventually, the birth of my children. I believe that the possibility of creating new memories should give every person on this planet hope; unfortunately, a life without hope is not a life worth living.
