Dearest reader -

You hear someone tell you to “make memories,” but do you actually know how are memories made?  I’m asking about the sausage-making - the practical how does a moment become a moment that’s remembered - not how do fun moments happen.  We all know how to drink a little and dance a lot.  Sometimes I can even laugh on command (by just looking straight at my beautiful friend Joanne, usually). 

Interrupting to show you what life with Joanne is like.  I’m pretty sure she is playing an air clarinet at this moment?

Seriously, how does time with Joanne get made into a memory while my breakfast is forgotten within approximately 13 minutes? 

So, obviously, Joanne is more fun.  Joanne makes me feel way better than my yogurt does.  There’s a ton of reasons why Joanne creates more memories than my breakfast.

But, annoyingly, Joanne lives like 5 time-zones away.  So I don’t get Joanne memories on the regular anymore.  And even when I did (in highschool), I don’t remember every single moment with Joanne, or even every time she made me laugh.  I remember happy moments and sad moments, big moments and mundane moments, tough moments, hopeful moments, silly moments.  It doesn’t seem like there’s much rhyme or reason to a lot of them. 

The answer, according to people who know more than me, is memory consolidation.  Our brain has way too many inputs, and so it consolidates all of that data into bits and pieces, and makes little shortcuts for us.  So I think Joanne, and I think warm fuzzy connection, and belly-aching laughter.  That’s my Joanne shortcut.

But then how does our brain create shortcuts out of a pretty mundane Tuesday?  A lot of it gets filed away, of course, for access as needed.  And if not needed, today’s memories fall further and further away until it’s pretty safe to let go of the fact that I should have brought more than a protein shake for lunch.

Do you know what keeps those memories around though? Wonder and curiosity in the moment.  Curiosity engages the hippocampus, whatever that means, and apparently that makes memories stick around for longer. 

I’ve always wondered why time went by so much slower as a kid, and why we remember so much from when we were kids.  Part of the reason, according to the brainiacs, is the curiosity and wonder that we had at the time.  And sadly, often lose as we get older.

Maybe that’s why I remember Joanne-time too.  I’m always curious to know exactly how she’s going to make me laugh next.  Sometimes, I’m even afraid, god forbid she catch me off guard with a full bladder.  Yep.  You read to the end, so you got my deep dark confession that my BFF makes me laugh so hard that I can’t control myself.  Literally.

Good morning, America!

Please tell me a story about the person who makes you laugh the hardest in your life? I'm curious 💜

Love always,

Lauren

THANKS FOR READING!