Memory: A Master Storyteller
A persuasive article composed by Brenalyn (Year 11 Advanced English)
Robert Goolrick once wrote, “The thing is, all memory is fiction.” The man certainly composed this with a sense of savage reflection, confronting the pathetic faded ink of his own memories; an act so many of us are much too afraid to do. Because Goolrick’s recollections, just like ours, are engraved in the darkest depths of the heart, so deep that the mind gets lost on its path to reach them. And this is the sorry case for us all; our memories hazily exist as puny smudges on the parchments of our souls. All memory truly is, well, fiction. And the evidence of this falsity is brutally obvious in the impact of the cruel hands of time, nostalgia, and diseases on the human psyche and mental wellbeing. These all accumulate to alter our perception of who we are; because who are we, if not our memories?
Time is certainly one of the true powers behind the fabrication of our past. John Dewey quoted, "Time and memory are true artists; they remold reality nearer to the heart's desire," and this captures precisely the truth of Goolwrick's quote. We as humans are restricted from the pure truth of our memories due to time. The little details intermingled within our minds ooze away with each second stripped from the clock. This is supported in the statement of Boston College researches: "Like old photographs, memories fade in quality over time." No matter how fond our memories may be to us, time reduces our past into weak, faded chapters of our lives. Hence, all memory truly is fiction. Moreover, some of these memories may become drastically altered in accordance to what we yearn for. In other words, nostalgia – the most powerful form of yearning – remoulds our perceptions of the past.
As we grow older, the plague of nostalgia strengthens its grasp on both our minds and our hearts. Have you heard the term, rose-tinted glasses? It refers to the perception of all things within an unrealistically positive light. Nostalgia is the optometrist who carefully places these glasses over our faces, forcing us to remember only the very best moments of our past. And as a result, we find ourselves rewriting our own memories in this rose-coloured tint. The memories of an old, toxic friend suddenly fade into only the best moments that were shared in between. Drama from an old school smears away, and the laughter of the better days becomes bold. We remember what we want to remember, because it makes our lives feel just a bit more worthwhile. But no one wants to hear that, because it means the memories of their lives are nothing but pretty lies. Hence, all memory truly is fiction. And this statement is unarguably confirmed by the horrid existence of disease - most commonly, Alzheimer's.
We've all heard of Alzheimer's disease, the illness which google defines as 'a progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions'. It is a monster which lurks behind the clock, spying patiently, revealing itself inch by inch as we age. The very definition is clear evidence in itself that we can never truly know the reality of the lives we have led. The World Health Organisation states that Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia and may contribute to 60-70% of cases. Hence, all memory truly is fiction - especially for those who suffer under Alzheimer's. How are we meant to trust our memories when literal illnesses can so easily plague them? It is without question that diseases like Alzheimer's, which ooze the poison of dementia into our brains, act as clear barriers between us and the truth of our memories. And there is no cure – literally. Once made a victim, a person with this illness has permanently lost their own reality, and is left with nothing but a fictitious blur.
As such, it is absolute that - as wisley stated by Robert Goolrick – all memory is nothing but fiction. Whether it be at the simple hands of time, or by the rosey blurs of nostalgia, or under the cruelty of dementia, our memories are smudged and altered within our minds – and plainly, there is nothing to be done about it. The only good use we can make of this fact is to utillise it as a vehicle to implement gratitude within our fleeting lives. Sure, our memories won't last - but the present is bold and vibrant before us now. So, it would definitely be beneficial for us to absorb and truly live in the present more often, since the truth of it can so easily slip away.
