How I Remember My Life

During a conversation with my grandmother, we delved into the reasons behind my habit of carrying a disposable camera and writing articles about my life. It was at that very moment that I finally grasped the subconscious motivation driving these activities: the preservation of memories. The realization dawned on me after my high school years when I sadly discovered an inability to recollect the precious moments of my birthdays, family gatherings, and festive occasions.

I often liken my mind to a dimly lit library, where memories are stored in filing cabinets. When I attempt to recall my life, it feels like a journey through that shadowy library, armed only with a flashlight, searching for a specific memory. This epiphany prompted me to adopt a peculiar habit throughout my twenties—I consciously decided to carry a disposable camera wherever I went, conveniently keeping one in my car. I would capture spontaneous snapshots of whatever felt right in the moment.

There is something magical about photographs. With a single glimpse of an image, I can retrieve the entire day's events, and it all comes rushing back. For the past two years, I have faithfully carried my disposable camera, and astonishingly, I now remember these recent years better than the majority of my life. The convenience of the disposable camera allows me to effortlessly document and capture moments, resulting in a stronger recollection of the past two years compared to my entire lifetime. It is remarkable that I retain more vivid memories from my twenties than I do from my entire childhood and adolescence, spanning ages 0 to 18.

Writing or journaling is a significant endeavor for those who seek to remember the intricacies of their lives. As time passes, we often remember engaging in certain actions but struggle to recall the specific details that influenced our decisions. For instance, you may recall purchasing a stock and witnessing it reach all-time highs; however, as time goes by, the underlying factors or fragments of information that influenced your decision tend to fade away. Nevertheless, these snippets of metadata hold significant importance when it comes to making future choices and avoiding repeating the same mistakes. That is why, in my opinion, it is crucial to jot down such details. Furthermore, it is enjoyable to reflect and read about the reasons why your younger self made particular decisions.

Perhaps I differ from many other 25-year-olds, as I find myself contemplating how to remember my life over the next 75 years. Yet, I am glad that I am starting now, for it is common for people to acknowledge their accomplishments in life without remembering the little details that made the journey enjoyable. Through my writing and photography, I strive to capture and preserve those intricate details that add depth to the tapestry of my life.