A Brief Essay on Memory
Memory encompasses all aspects of life. It’s how we perceive ourselves, our actions, our past and even our own identity. If you didn’t have memory you would essentially be living a life where every moment was completely new, because you’d have no recollection of anything you’d done before. Both my grandparents had some form of dementia. My grandmother, who had Alzheimers the more severe form of dementia, eventually completely lost her memory and essentially everything that made her human. Many people don’t realize the extent at which loss of memory affects your life and your body. It’s not just forgetting your past, people and events. It’s causes your own body to forget it’s muscle memory. You forget the language you had previously spoken so you are incapable of communicating or understanding others. You forget how to walk or even feed yourself as if you were once again a toddler. Without memory you are not able to really have the basic human functions to have your own identity. Other than, in my grandmother’s case, the identity that her family and friends remembered for her. Thus, memory is essential to every aspect of being a person. It shapes us into adults and people that can communicate and informs our decisions, actions and thoughts.
