I never had much of a memory for movies, TV shows, and books. I watch or read but don’t retain. This is why I record them in my daily diary and on this blog, so I can check back to see when and where I last watched. Years ago, I had a thing about watching or reading the same author or director’s work twice. As has become painfully clear these past few years, I usually don’t remember a thing about what I’ve watched or read in the past. Bottom line – it makes no difference if I’ve read or seen it – it’s all new to me. 

Unlike others that can repeat the lines from memory and can recall what actor or actress played each role, I often can’t remember even the plot, let alone the cast. A good example is the series, The Sopranos, that I’m watching for at least the third time. I saw a friend’s post on Facebook that prompted me to turn it on, thinking it had been decades since I watched. It turns out it’s only been five years, with references in this blog and in my diary. Sure enough, it’s like viewing a new release, although a few bits and pieces strike a chord. 

I’ve always loved envisioning myself as a Gangsta’. Maybe I was in a past life, but like everything else, I can’t remember. Indeed, my life is like a movie, with only bits and pieces recalled. This is likely why I’m so diligent about writing things down, wishing I had started sooner than twenty-five years ago when I began my daily diary entries. I can easily search back over time, now knowing that I last watched the Sopranos with my wife in our downtown Portland apartment back in the Fall of 2019. Next, we started the “Goliath’ series, went to a matinee of “Lighthouse,” and spent a quiet Halloween without any trick-or-treaters. Both of my wife’s daughters got married and soon Covid kept us isolated from everyone. Thanks, Dear Diary, for the memories!