Who Do I Think I Am??

This one's about memories, or lack thereof.

DAY 1 PROMPT: "If you had to decide between the two, would you rather forget all of your memories or never be able to make new ones?"

Hello friends, and welcome to Day One of [#1786069] "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" . I'm not gonna lie...my initial response to seeing this prompt was something along the lines of "How can I take a mulligan on this one and move on to the next prompt?" Ok, that's actually a lie...what I really did was send out a mock-nasty email, of which its contents I won't repeat here (for now), in regards to said prompt.

But what I can say is this: I honestly didn't think I could choose between the two (although I have the feeling by the end of this entry I'll have talked myself into one of the options). I look at it this way, since I'm known to play the "devil's advocate" role in debates on random topics: 1) If I forget all of my memories (good and bad), I'll lose out on reminiscing over good times, and I'll have no knowledge of anything the bad decisions might have taught me; and 2) To me, not being able to make new memories pretty much makes you non-existant...what purpose does that serve if all you're doing is carrying your past with you while being unable to carve out something fresh? It almost defeats the purpose of living when all you've got are memories, but you have no capacity to build on them. It's like life becomes a video game that you've mastered and beaten...you've accomplished everything you're able to do and there's no point in playing anymore, so all you have left is to relive those situations and experiences. Only, there's no new version of the game ever coming out to challenge you again.

And in that last paragraph I think I answered my question (and the prompt...I can prognosticate like that sometimes! ) The kind of person that I am always wants more, better, faster and such. If I fall, I want to know why and rise. If I win, I want to share that with everyone and win again. I want the next party to be the one everyone talks about as being a great party; until the next party which is even better. And most importantly, if I do make a bad decision, not only do I want to know just that but why I made it so I can learn from it and not make the same mistake again.

So here's where I'm second-guessing myself: My memories are who I am. Maybe in twenty years I'll do something notorious/phenomenal/stupid/noteworthy. Something to be proud of. Something to be shamed. Either way, my name is attached to it. Do I own that moment, or wish it all way? If I forget it, will there always be someone around to remind me? And if it's awesome, who will I share it with?

With those last words, I have un-prognosticated myself.

In my mind, it seems like either way it's a losing proposition. No old memories or no new memories. Maybe I'm on the wrong track with the prompt, or I'm just totally overthinking it. Again, allow me to introduce "devil's advocate" for ya...but this time in my favorite setting: BULLET POINTS.

No good times or bad times...and when you have either one, it's fleeting. Cuz once you have a momentous occasion, I would assume that it displaces the previous "momentous occasion".

At what point in your life do you establish which option to choose? Are you trading in your bad haircuts, cheating partners and/or "it's on the left (when it's really on the right)" for a do-over every day, in which you live unaffected by, say, neglecting to shower on a day you're destined to meet (and totally, at that point) turn off the potential "love of your life" only to perhaps win her back the next day in some dramatic fashion that you just can't take with you?

Ok, all of this thinking stuff is starting to turn me into a crazed tangent-monger. I'm over it.

My overall consensus with this topic is that there are just too many variables at play to validate a solid opinion for either option. I'm not a grey area type of brotha...I need to read the manual, check the forums and do my research on something like this. Yup...I'm that guy.

MUSICAL BREAK:

This captivating video (which I just watched for the first time actually) kind of sums up my confusion on the prompt by using "sensory imagery thingeys" that one could either take with or leave behind. Great band too, by the way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sC2GjXMk7i4&feature=feedrec

VITAL STATS:

I haven't written a word in over a week and that earns me over 100 views? Ill, people. Straight up. Illin'.

I may work in a retail store and be available to help you, but I'm not your concierge. Don't come in to my store seeking out somebody in a blue polo shirt just so you can hand them a list of items you "can't find", when you haven't actually looked. Aisle markers exist to tell you what is in each aisle, and we're not paid nearly enough to read or shop for you. After all, you're cognizant enough to know what you need in your household and able to get in your car and drive to my location. Don't act like having a cart in your mitts decreases your IQ; ten aisles shouldn't be that much more of a challenge to you than, say, choosing what you want to wear for the day (although in my store I could argue that some "fashion statements" should've been muted by the time the body hits the mirror).

That last bullet point was my day in a nutshell. Just back from a week off, all refreshed and ready to bust my ass and build on my charachter profile at work, and today just slammed that brick wall full of Haterade right into my domepiece. I get one more week of the bullshizzle before I take another week off to re-refresh mysezzle...only to come back and start up on the on-ramp to the gloriously insane Christmas season. I tell you, we started receiving holiday products already two weeks ago. And I don't mean Labor Day when I say "holiday". I mean Santa and reindeers and shit. Schools haven't even started for little kids around here yet and already "Back To School" is an afterthought. One of our August "suggestive sell" items was freakin' candy corn. And I love me some of that, but not in August!! Let the kids have a summer, and let those who have to deal with their needy parents have one too. I had this actual conversation with a customer a few weeks ago, which is not brought to you by: http://www.onstar.com

"You're out of the (ridiculously cheap) two-inch binders you have on sale, so can I get a raincheck?"
"Sure, for how many?"
"The ad doesn't have a limit...how many can I get?"
"I don't know...we usually limit that stuff to six."
"Well I need more than that...I have four nieces and nephews, and what if they need two apiece? That's eight!"
While I was not impressed by her math skills, she added:
"If you had a hundred, I'd buy a hundred."
No, you would not buy 100 two inch binders, lady. Let's be real. If you had that kind of money, you wouldn't be shopping here.
"Well, we do reserve the right to limit the quantity you purchase, and it says so in the ad."
"But you ain't got any, else I woulda bought 'em."
"Ok ma'am. Here's a raincheck for 10. Our next truck is Tuesday. Maybe we'll have more in by then."
Or, as I discovered a little later: Sorry you didn't see the two inch binders (all bazillion of them) in the promo aisle.

BONUS TRACK!!

Just a little somethin' from the Sixties files that the iPod cooked up; fitting or not (in relevence to all of today's enlightening)? One of my favorite songs from one of my favorite bands, y'all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwmtNk_Yb2Q

That's all I've got for ya today. It's quite a ramble...if you made it this far, thanks. What it means to this kid with the tired fingertips, you'll never know. You can like it, and you can comment...or just wait until tomorrow and you'll never know it existed when I become your next favorite bloggist.