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I was at a talk today that mentioned "a lot of us can tell you where we were on X date," because some tragic event happened then and it was big news when we heard about it. For people of my age range/geographic location, the September 11 terrorist attacks are one example. Other people in different times and places will probably have different ones. The technical term is "flashbulb memory," though it's disputed whether this kind of memory is really different from any other!
It seems likely, however, that at least there are dates associated with them. The talk went on "however, you probably don't have memories of where exactly you were on Y date." The point that the presenter was trying to make is that sometimes the "good guys" do their job and prevent disasters, so they should pat themselves on the back.
But I don't think it's a good idea to conflate "important memories" with "ones that have a specific date associated to them." My memories of learning to type on a computer program in first grade or meeting a friend in gym class because she had the same kind of shoes as me or seeing hoodoos in Bryce Canyon are vivid, and what's more, they're mine, even if I couldn't tell you the precise dates. A culture of "where were you when..." isn't necessarily a healthy one, because oftentimes no news is good news, and media are often more inclined to report on bad news than good.
(I guess the Cubs winning the World Series would be a positive flashbulb memory.) But anyway, don't downplay your own memories just because they're unique and you didn't bother to memorize the chronology. The uniqueness is the best thing about them!
It seems likely, however, that at least there are dates associated with them. The talk went on "however, you probably don't have memories of where exactly you were on Y date." The point that the presenter was trying to make is that sometimes the "good guys" do their job and prevent disasters, so they should pat themselves on the back.
But I don't think it's a good idea to conflate "important memories" with "ones that have a specific date associated to them." My memories of learning to type on a computer program in first grade or meeting a friend in gym class because she had the same kind of shoes as me or seeing hoodoos in Bryce Canyon are vivid, and what's more, they're mine, even if I couldn't tell you the precise dates. A culture of "where were you when..." isn't necessarily a healthy one, because oftentimes no news is good news, and media are often more inclined to report on bad news than good.
(I guess the Cubs winning the World Series would be a positive flashbulb memory.) But anyway, don't downplay your own memories just because they're unique and you didn't bother to memorize the chronology. The uniqueness is the best thing about them!
