Contextualized Memory

Good news- the mystery of my forgotten list was solved today, and it turns out the list was only one week old. It was four items I wrote down during a meeting with a typing specialist. 1 - index finger: the importance of knowing which letters the index finger uses. 2 - keep rest of class occupied: the importance of good classroom management. 3 - sports articles: some students enjoy typing these for practice instead of more standard fare. 4 - January Saturday mornings: when this specialist will be offering classes.

The thing that intrigues me about this forgetful episode is the question of how the brain stores information/memory, and how you can access those memories. I struggled fruitlessly for an hour last night trying to remember the implication of those four items. Today in a meeting I had scheduled to discuss typing the memory came back when I was asked about my prior meeting with the specialist. Ten years ago this wouldn't have been a problem for me to remember; but now it's clear that I need context in order to access my memories.