Ridiculously trivial things that you remember

[ginasevern]

So for example, I had a temping job 32 years ago where I was hired to work on one particular project lasting for around 3 months. I was sat with a group of maybe ten other young women who weren't connected to this project so although I was sitting with them, we weren't working together as such. They were all really nice and I enjoyed my time there, but I can't remember their names and their faces are now a blur. Except for one woman who's name was Sue. I had no more interaction with her than any of the others and yet I remember her face and obviously her name. And strangely I remember a conversation she had with her teenage daughter on the phone one day asking her to put some cranberry marinated turkey breasts under the grill in readiness for when she got home. I can't remember much about the project I was working on, the layout of the office or the meetings I attended. So why, just why do I remember this trivial conversation (that I wasn't even part of) from essentially a total stranger? Why has my memory stored this? Anyone else have similar?

Oh totally

I remember so much random boring stuff. It's ridiculous. No wonder my brain is tired. I don't need any of it!

I remember my coat peg number from when I was in year five, thirty six years ago.

Yes, I have lots of these.

There's a theory that your subconscious mind remembers everything but most of your memories can't be accessed by your conscious mind unless something occurs to trigger them.

I think the conscious mind remembers a selection of events as a sort of montage of any era of your life, and the turkey conversation is one of them. There might be some deep reason why you've remembered that particular moment - you could try free-associating from the conversation and see where it takes you?

Mine is from temping as well! We were sitting by the coffee machine (free coffee, company perk) and a colleague opens a styrophone pack.
“what have you got there, Stephen?”
”mmm mmm gmmm”
”curried chicken, is it, on a jacket potato?”

WHY do I have this as a flashback?! It’s the way he said curried chicken, so 1980s Bejam!

Is it even called styrophone? Those weird takeaway boxes. It’s like a rumination of the previous world. My kids wouldn’t know any of this weirdness!

I remember my first day at primary school in the cloakroom. A couple of the other girls had the uppers cut out at the toe end of their leather school shoes. Their feet had grown and their parents couldn't afford new shoes.

I can remember different outfits that I wore forty five years ago for example, and ones from more recently obviously, including, shoes, make up, jewellery selection etc.

And I appear to have killed the thread 🙈😬

Styrofoam I think 😁