How do we remember? I carry a pocket size diary. I use Google’s reminder. I join facebook. But despite of the writing down and typing out and electronic prompts, I still forget. Things are not “with me” unless I talk about them. When I talk about them often enough, I don’t forget.
As we age we tend to repeat what we want to say over and over again. My daughter is beginning to notice such trait in me,”Mom, you’ve said that already.” And although I don’t say that to my father, I also wish that he would stop “nagging” me.
But maybe we don’t repeat to annoy others. Before writing was invented, recitation of poetry and songs were the means of remembering. It is not so odd that we repeat ourselves, but we should repeat often, and rely less on the hosts of artificial reminders out there.
“Repeating,” wrote Gertrude Stein, “is in everyone.”
It is only with the advent of writing that repeating seems to be objectionable. Phrases like “wine-dark sea” and “rosy-fingered dawn” repeat and repeat in Homer. A book appears to “contain” what is written forever. Speech is ephemeral, constantly going out of existence; but in a book something “said” does not need to be said again: it’s there, it can be referenced.
Repeating brings us back to an oral world.