It’s hard sometimes, isn’t it? I’ve started a trawl through literature to find out if there is name for the Goddess of Forgetting. I’m tending to think that Mnemosyne could be a a double aspect deity, like Janus, the God of beginnings and endings. Because like beginnings and endings, remembering and forgetting are two faces of the same coin. But that’s just my opinion
I have been thinking about that opening quote so much since our gathering. Memory is vital yet fickle and unreliable. Holding our memories up to the light alongside those of others who were there but saw something different always makes me think of X-rays under scrutiny. What might we find that we didn’t notice before? Fascinating ponderings Julie
That's an interesting analogy, Beth, x-rays under scrutiny. I have to admit, I've not been able to put that quote to bed - it is becoming so relevant to so many things. Thank you for finding it. I've now tracked down a whole collection of essays, appropriately called 'Memory', which is a truly fascinating read.
I spend a lot of time walking in the garden with Mnemosyne. Thank you for letting me know her name. I relate to the conversations with my sister, who has almost no memories of her childhood and the insights we bring to each other. Still wondering if you’ve come up with a name for Mnemosyne’s twin.
Touched by your words Julie as I've also been delving back in to stories I hold about my past. And similarly have had various conversations with my brother trying to match things up. I notice it can be difficult when they don't match as we doubt ourselves. I wonder if its the feeling we have or had during those times that we need to tap into rather than the facts? Just wondering....
Thank you Sarah. You may have a point about tapping into feelings. However some of the things my brother told me made some things that had puzzled me for a long time make sense. And vice versa. I think that for me it’s not that I’ve started doubting myself, it’s that a close member of my family has been knocked off the pedestal I had them on. That has taken some coming to terms with.
This is such a powerful piece of writing, Julie. I, too, have a lot of gaps in my memories from childhood. I'm sorry that you are having to deal with and unpick so much.
Thanks Emma. Writing actually makes things easier to process. The pragmatic part of me is now thinking does it really matter anyway. I’m not going to ask my Mum about those days. Her grip on reality is tenuous as it is. I’ve emerged apparently unscathed and a little less angry than my brother. Whatever is hiding behind the blanks may be best left unexplored
It’s hard sometimes, isn’t it? I’ve started a trawl through literature to find out if there is name for the Goddess of Forgetting. I’m tending to think that Mnemosyne could be a a double aspect deity, like Janus, the God of beginnings and endings. Because like beginnings and endings, remembering and forgetting are two faces of the same coin. But that’s just my opinion
I have been thinking about that opening quote so much since our gathering. Memory is vital yet fickle and unreliable. Holding our memories up to the light alongside those of others who were there but saw something different always makes me think of X-rays under scrutiny. What might we find that we didn’t notice before? Fascinating ponderings Julie
That's an interesting analogy, Beth, x-rays under scrutiny. I have to admit, I've not been able to put that quote to bed - it is becoming so relevant to so many things. Thank you for finding it. I've now tracked down a whole collection of essays, appropriately called 'Memory', which is a truly fascinating read.
I spend a lot of time walking in the garden with Mnemosyne. Thank you for letting me know her name. I relate to the conversations with my sister, who has almost no memories of her childhood and the insights we bring to each other. Still wondering if you’ve come up with a name for Mnemosyne’s twin.
Touched by your words Julie as I've also been delving back in to stories I hold about my past. And similarly have had various conversations with my brother trying to match things up. I notice it can be difficult when they don't match as we doubt ourselves. I wonder if its the feeling we have or had during those times that we need to tap into rather than the facts? Just wondering....
Thank you Sarah. You may have a point about tapping into feelings. However some of the things my brother told me made some things that had puzzled me for a long time make sense. And vice versa. I think that for me it’s not that I’ve started doubting myself, it’s that a close member of my family has been knocked off the pedestal I had them on. That has taken some coming to terms with.
This is such a powerful piece of writing, Julie. I, too, have a lot of gaps in my memories from childhood. I'm sorry that you are having to deal with and unpick so much.
Thanks Emma. Writing actually makes things easier to process. The pragmatic part of me is now thinking does it really matter anyway. I’m not going to ask my Mum about those days. Her grip on reality is tenuous as it is. I’ve emerged apparently unscathed and a little less angry than my brother. Whatever is hiding behind the blanks may be best left unexplored