Mnemosyne

    I've always been one for remember things. Birthdays, anniversaries, first dates, first kisses, first intercourse (some all happen on the same day, so those are easy), dates in history, names, faces ( I never forget a face), you name it. And although I may have used the excuse "I'm horrible with names and dates" to justify my history grades in the past, I can assure you that it has had nothing to do with my capabilities, just that I simply didn't care. When I want to remember, I do. My long term memory is fantastic. However, I will say that have a slight handicap. I am about as scatterbrained as they come. Often times, I have just under a million things running through my head at the exact same time. Short term memory is practically non-existent. What does this mean? Well...it means that I will do it eventually. Whatever task, appointment, bill, birthday, thank you note...the list goes on and on...that I have been meaning to get to, WILL be tended to...eventually. I haven't forgotten completely, just for the moment.
    For as long as I can remember (which is obviously pretty far back since I just explained what an awesome memory I have) this absentmindedness has caused me serious problems. Lost phones, lord so many lost phones, wallets, purses, forgotten homework assignments, missed birthdays, past due bills, endless calls from my parents pissed as all hell because I neglected to call them to tell them I was home safe after my 3 hour drive back to Wisconsin...you get the picture. I've tried to remedy this problem a number of ways, some of which have been mildly successful, some of which have failed miserably. iCal was one of my most recent attempts to stay organized. Unfortunately, 9 times out of 10, I forget to check my iCal. The key to success for me seems to be in ritual. If I make something a ritual, and do it everyday according to schedule, it becomes engrained and I will NOT forget. For years, I avoided birth control assuming that it would end in some dreadful unwanted pregnancy due to my condition. However, since the day I started the pill, I have never missed a day. Furthermore, I have taken it at the exact same time, everyday. Total miracle, right? At first I thought it was pointing out how addicted to sex I am, but that's debatable and for another post. What worked was that it was something  I could count on doing every single day. If I could only make more things ritualistic like this, paying my bills on a certain day of the month, calling my mother every sunday, checking fucking iCal everyday,  I think I may be able to function like a normal, dependable human being.

Perhaps this blog will help. Expect a post every day.