Replacement

Ted: Oh, my God, Van Helsing is on. Remember when we went to see it? We sat in the back row.
Robin: I've never seen Van Helsing.
Ted: That's right. I saw it with... my sister.

-How I Met your Mother -Season 2

After yesterday's post about memories and after watching an episode of How I Met Your Mother last night I got to thinking about memories and how often we alter them....

Ever make that mistake talking to your significant other, only to realize half way through that it actually wasn't them? My lovely husband has an awful habit of doing this to me and then I have to prove to him that there is no way that I could have actually been in the story he is telling. I used to get jealous, like he was thinking of someone else or wanting them to be there, but I realize that he isn't. (I also realize that I do the same thing all the time as well!) We tend to replace people in the past with people in our present because we want to be with who we are currently involved with; we want to think that all our wonderful memories of traveling, seeing movies, or just generally being happy are linked to why we are happy today.

It isn't that we want to forget the past, or that we are trying to replace anyone- it is simply human nature to think in the present and to link our present to our past. We alter memories to fit our current situation. It isn't something that we do on purpose, and it isn't something that we should be ashamed about it. Unlike Ted from How I Met Your Mother  - we shouldn't have to make up some bogus line about it being our sister, brother, mother, or any other family member. We should instead go with "whoops?! That wasn't you!? I wish that it was! Maybe we should go/watch __________ (insert travel plans or lame 90s movie here).

Understand that our memory lies to us on a regular basis, and it happens to everyone, so don't worry about it. If you are on the listening end of the memory (and know 100% that the story is not about it) sometimes it is better just to pretend that it was in fact you. Sometimes when you start agreeing the person will realize it was in fact NOT you - and then you can both have a good laugh about the whole situation.

So, with that being said, instead of focusing on the past and who was where, and who did what, go out and make a new memory today. And, if you are really that bad with your memory - take a picture, then there will be no doubt who it was with.

Enjoy your day everyone, go make the most of it!