Time unmemorial

As I packed my bag full of clothes, books, notepads, papers, pens, a watch, a toothbrush, a newspaper, a magazine, and a handkerchief, I had a nagging suspicion that I'd forgotten to remember something. Forgetting to remember something is much worse than remembering to forget something; after all, when you remember to forget something, you get to plan your absent-mindedness in advance, to pre-emptively select any small accidents of memories you have for best effect. For instance, if you are going on a visit to friends, than it's much better to remember to forget to take that box of chocolates so that you can enjoy it after the visit on your own. If, on the other hand, you just forget to remember the box of chocolates, you'll only be reminded of what you have forgotten once its too late.

Of course, there are problems with remembering to forget things as well as forgetting to remember things: that is, you may forget to remember to forget the something you had aimed to remember to remember to forget. On the other hand, sometimes you remember the something you had forgotten to remember before it is too late (though in some cases you may simply choose to remember to forget this thing anyway, for convenience sake.)

And also, as one gets older, and looks back in one's past with sentiment and nostalgia, there may be more and more incidences that one can choose to remember to forget, if they don't forget to remember it first. That time the girl you had a crush on in school caught you picking your nose, for instance. Or that time you caught her picking her nose. Yes, we truly have a thousand golden happy memories in our lifetime that we may wish to repress.

Tomorrow, I'm taking off for a five day trip to Newcastle. Who knows what I may remember to forget, and what I may simply forget to remember? I certainly look forward to finding out...