Memories

Working with older folks has created my interest in memories and how they work. I had eight writers in our group the other day.  One from England, one from Africa, another from Germany- a nice mix and I asked how many ever read the book or seen the movie The Wizard of Oz?  Everybody smiled and raised their hands. I fumbled around and asked “What was that main character’s name? And simultaneously I received eight correct answers. I said “Who?” and they really sounded off?  I went through a series of questions and they all responded immediately.  “Where did she live?”  “What was her dog’s name?”  And along came a really awful “what?” Again the right answers. “And who walked with her down the yellow brick road?”  I watched them think just a bit and then all eight of them started spitting out more correct answers. “Who were they goin’ to see?” “Right! The wonderful Wizard of  – Where?”  They nailed it.  And what was it the three characters wanted?  The scarecrow wanted a brain. The Tin man, a heart. and cowardly Lion ..courage and Dorothy wanted to go home. And although the Wizard was a fraud and a con artist just the same they all left with what they wanted because they realized they already had inside themselves what they thought they were lacking. And Dorothy and Toto got to go back to Kansas. All we need is a little more confidence, a bushel more courage, a lifetime of experience and dedication and then, Look Out World!… because we are going to make this a better, happier world for everyone. Everyone in our room now realized that he or she had a fantastic memory. We just have to be patient and dig a little deeper as we age, but we have some wonderful memories stored up there and it is fun digging them out and capturing them on paper too.