Memory trip: Some roads closed...

Currently I am going through lots of boxes and trying to condense my life. The amount of saved statements, receipts, Post-it Note phone numbers (and well, notes), business and holiday cards, random photos and other detritus is daunting. Yesterday I filled a giant garbage bag and readied for shredding an amount of paper that could build a good sized vacation cabin. I could have supplied the confetti for a ticker tape parade. I thought I would never finish sifting.

One thing I found odd was how certain names and phone numbers either immediately rang a distinct bell or were extremely vague. Specific individuals were conjured up in an almost holygraphic image while others appeared foggy and gray. Why certain people left more of an indelible impression is curious. I am still trying to figure out who in the hell some of these people were. It is unsettling. Did I sleep with them? Do they owe me money? Did I share sushi? It makes me feel a bit amnesiac. Has my middle aged memory gone so soft that people I interacted with 5 to 10 years ago can no longer be recalled? I used to pride myself with remembering details about people. It's like I had a life that compares to an ongoing convention of lost name tags I collected. Luckily most of them came back to me . Some are lost forever other than the fact that I have evidence he or she spoke to me and took the time to give me some contact info. And those are just the bar, business cards and random scribblings I came across. The receipts were even more strange....

Why did I buy a jumping robot picture holder? I don't own a jumping robot picture holder. Did I buy it for the mysterious Lance who is listed on a pink sticky note of whom I have no recollection? If so, did I give it to him and did he thank me? Was I present when he opened the box and did I see the delight or embarrassment on his face. I guess I could call the number he wrote down for me except that it is blurred by a water mark. I can't tell if the '4's are '9's and vice versa.

My bank and savings statements were depressing. I used to have a lot more money. I don't want to remember that!

At least with the photos there is evidence that something took place. So far I recognize everyone and it looks like me if I appear in a picture. The one of me peeking around Pikachu in a Tokyo arcade is especially fetching. Luckily I do remember being in Tokyo and playfully hiding behind his (her?) large, yellow head. I think my ex took the picture but it could have been Lance. He might have snapped the shot right before I handed over the robot to him. It is hard to say at this point.

I certainly had a lot of massuer business cards. I found this quite interesting since I have only had two massages in 10 years. The car detailing and upholsterer cards were frequent too but I used these services often. Some things fell into place.

The thing that is really scary is that this is only the beginning. I haven't even gotten the bulk of my stuff out of storage. That happens tomorrow. There are boxes of items I have not looked into for several years. Maybe this will be proof that I really am the Audrey Rose of Broward County. Perhaps the preponderance of multiple personality evidence will be too staggering. Fine I say, as long as something leaves a trail to a forgotten trust fund or long lost Park Avenue, flatted parents. I am up for anything. Bring on the memories both vibrant and non existent!