Re: "60 Minutes" Interview On Superior Autobiographical Memory To Air Sunday, January
Pretty interesting. It would have been nice to see them spend a little time with each guest, but it was informative and a little heartbreaking at times to hear how this impacted the young boy.
That's what they did last time. They called Tracy Fersan and had her read her name and credentials over the phone. This makes me suspect they had a longer story but shortened it as the A-Rod thing developed yesterday. It was also a little disconcerting to start as the lead story and get bumped. And finally, I completely understand that Marilu Henner is the "face" of the condition as she is the most famous person with it. But why bring back the other two people (Louise Owen and Bob Petrella) when you're flying the four of us out there? I'm sure these questions have answers, but I just don't know them. And of course it's nothing against those folks.
The Overtime segment that airs about grudges is a little misleading because I did make the point that just because I have not forgotten something does not mean I have not forgiven you for wronging me.
There was one part that wounded me deeply on the show: when the ten-year boy talks about how "a year ago" his Dad had really gotten onto him about something and it bothered him. The father has no idea about any of that. I've experienced that firsthand in more personally painful ways than just that. For example, on December 16, 1979, we cut and hauled wood to the new house we were about to move into. My father wore steel-toed boots for working. I forget the specifics but he told me to do something and I said, "Yes sir" (which is how we did it back then). My mouth (apparently) involuntarily made a sort of smirk/grimace. His eyes lit up and the man hit me open handed so hard on the left side of my face that my right jaw was what hit the ground first. He stood up over me kicking my floppy legs a bit and positioning his boots and told me he'd better never again see me smirk at him when I'd said something.
I still can feel that happening right now, it was cold and overcast around 5 pm (sun going down quickly). He has no recollection of that or multiple dozens of other humiliating escapades he put me through. And I don't want to sound like I'm complaining because everybody had "issues" and things growing up. But somehow you can forget at least some or most of them.
One that bruised me for years was an honest reaction I had to a Christmas gift opening on December 22, 1981, in Missouri. My grandmother was fond of buying me these puzzles to put together. I hate puzzles. I never said anything, though, because the family was of modest means and I did appreciate the thought. No, I never put one together. Well that particular Christmas season, I had already been given a puzzle by a jr high classmate (It was of candy bars). I kinda rolled my eyes but oh well. However - this particular year, my mother had been explicitly told that I was NOT getting a puzzle and she told me that. So imagine the shock and awe when I open the gift and there's........the Holy Grail!!! No, of course it was a puzzle. I probably would have been ok except I'd been told I wasn't getting one. So I burst into tears, which embarrassed me and ran out of the room. My father stormed into the bedroom where I was hiding and grabbed me by one ear and dragged me back into the room and forced me to apologize.
I finally brought this up to my aunt (Dad's sister) on January 15, 2001 - nearly twenty years later and after my grandmother had died. My aunt had only the vaguest recollection of it - but it still tortured me all those years later.
I honestly never knew folks could forget stuff. But if you ask me if I want to trade......I honestly don't know at times.
