blog entry

I caught the bus home today after a long day's work. I didn't have to wait long, but the time dragged somewhat as I'd been out last night celebrating JP's birthday. Following this drinking, work began at seven which meant a five o'clock start. That's AM boys and girls. Waiting at the bus-stop, thinking of nothing in particular, a former colleague came across me. She had her daughter in tow and had been shopping. We chatted until the bus arrived; she quizzed me on my comings and goings, I tried to remember her name. When the name Jane popped into my head about half an hour later, the moment had passed somewhat. I was already home and long gone from the few minutes of polite 'oh yes how interesting' conversation.
What struck me about this though was that the most valuable way to value a person, to really show you care, is to remember. A slice of your memory is very valuable in social terms, and to remember someone's name or a fact about their life, an event, is very special. I feel bad to have not cared much about her but, perhaps despite our wishes, memory is honest. It may not always be honest in what it remembers but it is honest in the priority to which it assigns the memories. Those things we value highly we remember clearly and in this case, if you don't care much for a person it is astonishingly easy to simply forget about them.
I left school but three months ago and I already find I can't remember who people are let alone their names. It's a powerful feeling.