Mahesh - Week 15: Periodic Memory

Mahesh - Week 15: Periodic Memory


    The whooshing wind above the coconut trees brought me back to consciousness after my ten-minute doze in the dappled light on the ground. Thinking about my worries fading away is always possible with a trip to Kerala, my mom’s home state in India. I usually only visit Tamil Nadu on my vacations to India. Even now, thinking about my experiences in Kerala seems like a far-off memory from a different era.


    The last time I went to the state was in third grade when my brother was just a toddler. When I try to remember the trip, all I can recall are the cruise ships and boat tours I did along winding rivers, rather than remembering the familial personalized interactions that I developed during the trip. Learning a side of my culture that I do not frequent revealed to me the large pillars with elephants carved within them in the majestic temples of Kerala. They seemed to be an architectural wonder—engulfing me in the mystery of the balance that allows for the pillar to stand upright. The small cryptic symbols engraved along the temple have a feeling like none other—a sense of awe creeps over me as I look around the timeless statues that have survived millennia.


    However much of a smile the thoughts of viewing these artifacts bring to my face, I have a twinge of sorrow, and a part of my soul lost to this location. I visited my grandparents’ house in Kerala when I was there in third grade, but the very next year, my grandfather passed away, and my grandmother moved to Tamil Nadu. Since then, I have not had the heart to visit the same family home and remember those memories in such vivid detail. One day, I will make the very same journey I made in third grade. One hidden aspect of memories is how you may want to omit some of them and remember other components. As I grow mentally, I have much more to learn about selective memory. Here is a short paper on selective memory published through MIT: https://economics.mit.edu/sites/default/files/inline-files/Selective_Memory_Equilibrium-5.pdf


Source: 

https://economics.mit.edu/sites/default/files/inline-files/Selective_Memory_Equilibrium-5.pdf 


Comments

  1. Liya AbilMay 1, 2024 at 8:46 AM

    Hi Mahesh. When I read the first part of your blog, I was mind blown at how similar our experiences with our homelands are. Like you, I am also from Kerala and before my trip there in 2023, my last trip was in third grade as well. From that trip, the only thing I remember is the scenery, architecture, and external elements of the trips. I remember the abundance of coconut trees, the magnificence of the churches we visited, and the beauty of the seaside resort we stayed in. Unfortunately, I do not remember the relationships and the moments I shared with my cousins, grandparents, and other relatives. I think a key factor that played into remembering the external aspects of my trip are pictures. I constantly look through old pictures as a hobby, to reminisce on my early childhood memories. From this, I was exposed to all the places that I visited in the third grade, which helped me remember the scenery more. Unfortunately, pictures cannot capture intimate moments with family and relatives from the time, so I am unable to remember those as much. I am very sorry about your Grandfather dying, but I believe that going back to Kerala would be able to bring back all the good memories you had with him.

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  2. Patrick ChouMay 1, 2024 at 10:05 PM

    Hi Mahesh, your blog really stuck a chord with me, as it brough to light the commonality of our experiences. In Taipei, Taiwan, I remember the architectural beauties such as the 101, I feel like my memory from there has gradually faded from memory. It is intreating how photographs of my visit have helped me recall my experience. I am sorry to hear about you grandfathers passing. Your reflections on the importance of revisitng our roots and the memories associated with them are trully poignant. Thank you for sharing your experiences and thoughts in your blog,

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