The memory remains...

It seems one of my friends has had her gray cells put in a grinder by the most familiar villain known to grad schoolers all around - STRESS.

I know this only too well, after my very meticulous mismanagement of time helped bountiful by garden-variety procrastination, last semester.

You are assaulted with a sense of despair, question your self-worth, are disgusted by your uselessness and contemplate ending it all (like give up on education and mooch off dad. NOT kill yourself! If you thought of that, then you are forever judged by me - a twig)

She asked me: "Why are happy memories so damn difficult to recall in these times of distress? Why are sad memories that much more vivid?"

I replied: "Simply, because HAPPINESS belongs in the NOW and SADNESS belongs in the PAST."

She was mighty impressed by this. I should say, even I was taken aback by my wisdom :P

Anyways, I got to discussing this with another friend of mine.

I repeated my statement to him. Then, I got to thinking and elaborated on this.

Isn't it woefully human, that when we are sad, we pile it on by recollecting all the times we were sad and invite self-pity and a general woe-be-me attitude?

Isn't it refreshingly human that when we are happy, we care the least about anything else, and just soak in the present moment?

And also, when we are just neutral, we tend to recall happy memories more than sad ones and enjoy a nice little look-back.

It is these idiosyncrasies of human nature that make it all ever so charming. :)