I have a smartphone, but it is an inexpensive model. It is frequently telling me that I am running out of storage space. I cannot download any new apps because there apparently is not enough room for them inside my phone. I don’t understand this because I have moved photos to the SD card, and deleted the more ravenous apps, which is supposed to create more internal storage space. Maybe my phone, like my computer, will soon need replacing. Ugh!
Computers remind me in many ways of our human brain. I often hear, “I can’t remember anything”, or “I am always forgetting stuff!” I get this from people my own age who often joke about their forgetfulness, blaming it on old age or a “senior moment”. I hear the same complaint from younger people; however, I am inclined to think our age has very little to do with it. It might have something to do with training. If we are taught at an early age to memorize things, maybe we build that particular muscle in our brain. I have always struggled with remembering details like people’s names, names of movies, books, authors, and the prices of things that I buy. I would never make it as an actress because I would have trouble remembering my lines; or as a singer because I would not remember the lyrics. I can generally remember things that I am particularly fond of, such as a flower or a bird. I am more easily able to retain facts about those things that interest me.
Wouldn’t it be much easier if we could organize information in a file in our head? If we had the option to send some of it to the trash bin, delete, or permanently delete information in our brains, would they be less cluttered? Our ancestors were never confronted with the challenges of too much information. They may have been isolated much of the time and had far fewer people to interact with on a daily basis. It would have been easier for them to remember a name and a face because they did not have the constant input that we have today from television, movies, advertisements, magazines, music, and the numerous conversations that we have in a day. They had more opportunities to sit in silence and to be aware of the life going on around them. Today, we must make a conscious effort to be still and to declutter our minds. Maybe we cannot delete the overload of data in our heads, but we can hit the pause button as often as we like.
