Remembering Names And Incidents.

sln · Mar 12, 2019

Afresh said: ↑

I couldn't help smiling reading through this snippet
What a delightful presentation... had to write my comments
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Thanks. I am more than gratified when the narrative brings smiles of the readers.PG Wodehouse fans will testify to this fact.Regards.SLN

sln · Mar 12, 2019

sln said: ↑

Thanks. I am more than gratified when the narrative brings smiles of the readers.PG Wodehouse fans will testify to this fact.Regards.SLN
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Viswamitra · Mar 12, 2019

Dear SLN Sir,

Your narration about how the memory of wife works brought back some memories that I would like to forget. Forgetfulness is a gift and may be that is why we are born without knowing what we did in our previous lives. Only when we are repeatedly reminded about such incidences, it gets etched in our memories and we avoid developing conversation anywhere closer to it.

When people ask on the phone, "Do you remember me?" or "Can you tell me who I am?", I get challenged. Even if I remember who that was, I feel like telling some other name just to get back to them.

Even President Trump does a lot of name calling just for fun or political reason. It is always crooked Hillary, Pocahontas for Elizabeth Warren, etc.

Viswa

Amulet · Mar 13, 2019

PushpavalliSrinivasan said: ↑

Dear SLN,
Nowadays even the younger generation has no memory power. .......
PS
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My American children's most memorable aspect of interactions with their desi cousins is how much the desi children have to memorize and remember just to get an average grade (marks) in the exams. Cutesy originality, and independent thinking counts for naught in a remote grading system. Remembering the correct way to present the answer wins.

Children are challenged to remember more and more these days, rather than less. Those who overcome addictions to mobile apps and chats, and pack their heads with exam-relevant information stand to gain much. And children know it too.

shyamala1234 · Mar 13, 2019

sln said: ↑

Trump, President of USA called Tim Cook of Apple as Tim Apple.Trump also called Lockheed Martins CEO as,Marillyn Lockheed..Rahul Gandhi forgot Hollandes name and said that he had a meeting with Macron ex president of France.There is nothing ominous about this.People do forget names and telephone numbers,

In our apartment complex there was gentleman called Shankar in his early seventies..We were friends and used to meet in our morning walk.Despite knowing each other for some time he used to address me as Subramaniam.My attempt to correct him failed and therefore I tried another technique which yielded positive results.I returned his greeting in our morning walk and said Good morning Rajamanickam.He corrected me immediately and said that his name was Shankar.I said sorry and continued that incidentally my name was Lakshminarayanan and not Shankar.I tried this for two/three days and calling wrong names stopped completely.I surmised that this chap Subramaniam should have troubled him enough to leave a lasting memory of his name.

When we forget names we try to describe the person by his physical attribute or habits.Lambhu,shortie,baldie,fatso,smoker,snuff box,Patiala peg etc.Of course we use this when the person is not around.Argumentative,fighter,champion listener, burper,windy,back slapper[remember the chaps who slap your back when happy or excited] etc are some of the action oriented attributes to remember the person.There is a couple who go for a walk and the gentleman follows his wife because of breathlessness.We identify him as the faithful follower. There is a person who helps his wife with washing vessels.We identify him as the Dishwasher.

Ladies have elephantine memory particularly relating to quarrels with the husband or mother in law.It will start some what like this.”It was a Sunday around 4.00pm.Your father was sitting in the easy chair and browsing through the panchangam.Your mother was sorting out the coriander leaves.You were watching some cricket match played about 5 years earlier.I asked you a simple question-shall we go to the beach this evening-it is a long time since I tasted the raw mango spiced with chilli powder?You pounced on me and said “I need space-leave me alone as afterall I get only Sunday to relax”.What made it worse was your body language and the satisfied look on your mothers face.Adding insult to the injury was that you readily agreed to your mothers request to take her to the temple.The triumphant look on your mothers face said it all.In one of the made for each other contest a lady listed out every promise made on the nuptial night by her husband and not carried out even after ten years of marriage. The husband agreed that the list was factual but need not have been so exhaustive.The famous CHO once said- make promises in a hurry and repent at leisure. I also remember an occasion when I scolded my wife for losing the house key, she came out with a ready reckoner of the items I had lost in twenty years of our married life right from nail cutter,pen,towel,driving license etc.She had an appreciative audience of my daughters who clapped vigourously every time an item was included in the list. I beat a hasty retreat when cornered by the Phoolan Devi gang in their territory.One thing to cherish is that forgetting is the biggest gift of God to us as otherwise we will relive painful memories of what we have gone through and wallow in self pity.Remember that pessimists forget to laugh but an optimist laughs to forget.
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Dear sln sir,
Last sentence is the best sentence.
We may forget some names or little little things. That's ok. It happens to everyone. But when we see the bigger picture of life, it is a boon given by God to forget and forgive. Otherwise world would have been a battleground.
Syamala

Afresh · Mar 13, 2019

Amulet said: ↑

My American children's most memorable aspect of interactions with their desi cousins is how much the desi children have to memorize and remember just to get an average grade (marks) in the exams. Cutesy originality, and independent thinking counts for naught in a remote grading system. Remembering the correct way to present the answer wins.

Children are challenged to remember more and more these days, rather than less. Those who overcome addictions to mobile apps and chats, and pack their heads with exam-relevant information stand to gain much. And children know it too.
Click to expand...

This is a topic closest to my heart currently!

Sitting at a class interaction with mothers of kids with near full marks, lamenting a few marks teacher has deducted when she (teacher) has ticked them correct in a subjective language paper...

Even parents who apparently know how to give the correct remarks (read politically correct) know how to brow beat kids to fall in line! Not that I am not guilty of similar stuff

PushpavalliSrinivasan · Mar 13, 2019

In India the education system differ from state to state owing to different languages. The students studying in CBSE and ICSE boards are studying in English medium. Hence they don't have to memorise so much as state board students.
PS

Amulet said: ↑

My American children's most memorable aspect of interactions with their desi cousins is how much the desi children have to memorize and remember just to get an average grade (marks) in the exams. Cutesy originality, and independent thinking counts for naught in a remote grading system. Remembering the correct way to present the answer wins.

Children are challenged to remember more and more these days, rather than less. Those who overcome addictions to mobile apps and chats, and pack their heads with exam-relevant information stand to gain much. And children know it too.
Click to expand...

sln · Mar 14, 2019

Viswamitra said: ↑

Dear SLN Sir,

Your narration about how the memory of wife works brought back some memories that I would like to forget. Forgetfulness is a gift and may be that is why we are born without knowing what we did in our previous lives. Only when we are repeatedly reminded about such incidences, it gets etched in our memories and we avoid developing conversation anywhere closer to it.

When people ask on the phone, "Do you remember me?" or "Can you tell me who I am?", I get challenged. Even if I remember who that was, I feel like telling some other name just to get back to them.

Even President Trump does a lot of name calling just for fun or political reason. It is always crooked Hillary, Pocahontas for Elizabeth Warren, etc.

Viswa
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sln · Mar 14, 2019

Dear Viswa,
I was travelling and hence the belated reply.People forget names when they are preoccupied with other thoughts or pretend to forget just for poking pun at the other.They also prefix profession or some other peculiarities to generate laughter.One thing is certain that cell phones have destroyed our memories for telephone numbers.Regards,
SLN

sln · Mar 14, 2019

Amulet said: ↑

My American children's most memorable aspect of interactions with their desi cousins is how much the desi children have to memorize and remember just to get an average grade (marks) in the exams. Cutesy originality, and independent thinking counts for naught in a remote grading system. Remembering the correct way to present the answer wins.

Children are challenged to remember more and more these days, rather than less. Those who overcome addictions to mobile apps and chats, and pack their heads with exam-relevant information stand to gain much. And children know it too.
Click to expand...