The "Do You Remember The Day When You ..." Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in the waiting room of my wife's neurologist reading a magazine called "Brain & Life, Neurology for everyday living".  And...for those who know me, it wasn't the only magazine in the office!  Looking at a few articles when all of a sudden I got involved in a story titled "Past Perfect".  The story featured a young woman, actress Marilu Henner, who happens to have a highly superior autobiographical memory.  The condition has been identified in only about 100 people worldwide.  Marilu was featured on the December 19, 2010 television show 60 Minutes.  Her superior autobiographical memory ability was the topic of one of the segments on the show.  She claimed she could remember almost every day of her life since she was 11 years old.  She said her earliest memory is of being baptized.  She remembered the water...and the white.  She then said that whenever she goes back into her memory, she is always in her body looking out.  As for me, I find that the older I become, the more I can remember some of my childhood moments, but in return, I tend to forget some of the moments in my recent past.  The editor of "Brain & Life", Orly Avitzur, writes in her opening From the Editor that our memory is one of the fundamental characteristics that make us who we are.  Problems with memory can affect any of us when we are deprived of sleep, distracted, depressed, ill or taking certain medications.  Pick one and I'm sure I have had a memory lapse due to it sometime in the recent past.  But, memory loss can also be the first symptom of dementia and Alzheimer's disease and can affect people with Parkinson's disease, stroke, epilepsy, head trauma and other neurologic conditions.  Dr. Avitzur also wrote that over the years she has seen countless patients who have lost their memory at much to young an age while others were exceptional for their recall abilities despite advancing age.  She recalled a patient in her nineties who had credited her brain health to regular daily activities like caring for her chickens, tending to her garden and cooking healthy meals.  The doctor also noted that she credits her memory to her resilience and determination, two admirable traits.   What do you remember most about your childhood?  Do you remember important days such as when you started elementary school, graduated from high school, got married or the birth of your children.  Do you remember where you were on September 11, 2001 or when President Kennedy was assassinated?  Well, Marilu Henner can remember all of that, plus what day of the week these event took place, what she had to eat that day and what the weather was like.  She says that, "Your memory is your story, it's your life, it's everything."  

Marilu Henner, gifted with highly superior autobiographical memory.

I find that when I sit down at my computer to type a story for this blog, if I can block out everything from my mind but the experience I want to write about, I can recall much more than if I try and recall more than one event at one time.  Marilu says that if someone in her family wanted to know when something happened, it was always, 'ask Marilu.'  As I said, she is one of only about 100 people in the world who has total recall and can remember, in remarkable detail and accuracy, every event in her life, especially after the age of 11.  She is said to have a "highly superior autobiographical memory" or HSAM.  She has five siblings who rely on her to tell them what the weather might have been on a special day in their life or what day of the week that day might have fallen.  Can you imagine being able to do that!  The very first person to be identified with HSAM was Jill Price who reported that whenever she sees a date on television or anywhere else, she automatically goes back to that day and remembers where she was, what she was doing and what day of the week it was.  The condition is very rare and when Henner did the 60 Minutes show in 2010, she underwent an MRI scan of her brain and shared memories of her family from childhood.  She was given all the memory tests that are given to people to see if they have Alzheimer's like number sequencing and repetition and looking at a box of images or objects.  She just loved it!  After that show she served as a consultant for the TV series Unforgettable which was a show about a police detective with HSAM who used her detailed recollections to help solve crimes.  Her siblings also are very bright, but don't have HSAM.  She lost both her parents at an early age, but being able to recall every moment of their lives gives her greater comfort.  You may remember her from a few TV shows she has appeared on, but today she is working with the Alzheimer's Association and UsAgainstAlzheimer's.  She appeared in Congress to ask for more funding for brain research.  She says, "Your memory is your story, it's your life, it's everything."  Amen!  And, you have been reading mine for many years now.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.