memories?

So after 15 years of being out of High School, I've gone and done it again, gone back to college...again. Not sure why I never learn. Which ironically is the subject really of this entry. I didn't do learning well when I was in High School, not so sure what makes me thing I can learn now, but hell, why not right?
So, last night I'm sitting on the couch, then at the kitchen table, trying to get the information from only the first 15 pages of Structure and function of the human body to sink in. Mind you, the first 15 pages only. Good grief, there is a lOT of information in 15 pages of text. I created mnumonic devices, I tried memorizing, I tried everything I could until it was 11:00 and the only thing running through my head was: Metabolism: Aquiring and the use of energy...over and over and over. I woke up this morning thinking that...but that's getting ahead of myself. I decided that after 11:00 anything I put into my head wasn't going to really stay there anyway so I went to bed.
As I lay in bed last night, thinking about metabolism, thinking about how loud the filter is in my sons turtle tank (went to unplug it at about 11:15) and wondered this:
Wouldn't it be cool if a person could pick and choose the things they want to keep as memories in their own brain
Now, that was the main thought to which several other mini thoughts were produced...but that being the general issue. So, I started to think about it...what would I give up to be able to remember the organization of the human body, or the characteristics of life? Would I give up knowing what it was like to give birth? Would I give up knowing and remembering that milk costs 2.45 a gallon at Wal-mart? Would I give up remembering that my cats name when I was a kid was D.C. and that it stood for Dumb Cat. (Thanks mom). Do those things really matter? I thought about all of these things until at least midnight when my sons alarm clock went off singing Alvin & The Chipmunks, The Soundtrack. I think when I went back to bed after that I finally did fall asleep, but as I said above, I woke up thinking about the definition of metabolism. However, as I was showering this morning, I expanded this thought more about choosing memories. What would it mean to who I am to give up certain memories? How would it change my personality, my life, my values? How would it frustrate me to not know the price of milk? What really matters when it comes to memories?
I don't know if remembering my cats name really matters, but it's interesting to me that when I think about this issue, that memory is the first thing that popped into my head. Why is that I wonder? What meaning did that cat have in my life? I don't even like cats!
I'm pretty sure knowning the price of milk, or how much a coffee at Kwik Trip costs doesn't matter in my every day life, but two questions arise from the thought of not knowing those things.
1. Would it frustrate me to NOT know them? Or would it not matter because I wouldn't remember that I didn't know it? (Deep huh?)
2. Even if I could purge that memory in particular, does that even leave me enough room to remember the body systems? Or does it really only give me enough memory to remember something else that I don't need to remember?
Ok, so that is really four questions...see how quick this takes off? (and why I just can NOT sleep at night?)
Maybe I think about the brain wrong? I think of it as compartments where things are stored, and I'm sure that is very elementary and childish, but it's how I do it. So to me it seems logical that one should be able to gather and purge as one needs. And boy do I need! If there is extra space available somewhere, I don't have the key to onlock it and it's going to make me crazy! I WANT to learn more, I want to keep learning and reading and gathering information, but I also want to purge memories that I just don't need (like anything at all said on ESPN).
I'd like a good lesson on how memory works...that's what I really need. To get that I suppose the best path is to conintue on with my education as planned and maybe along this journey I'll learn more about the brain and how it works. (not as the little mini file cabinets I envision it as)

The Flu & the shot

Happy 2010! I spent the midnight minute watching my 8 year old throw up. Nice huh? What a great way to ring in the new year. For the both of us. I wonder if it's any indication of how the new year will be? God I hope not. Isn't there a saying somewhere about how if you ring in the new year horribly then the rest of your year will be awesome? If not, I'm going to just go ahead and start that little rumor ok? I think it's only fair, we had a good 2009 NYE and this year kinda went to hell in handbasket!
This little bout of sickness, probably the flu, will undoubtetly bring up the subject of the flu shot/mist with my sister. She's a freak about it. Her three kiddos have the shot as soon as it's humanly available. She gets it too, as does her husband. Actually most people I know get the flu shot. I really don't get it. I'm not one of those people who thing that there is a huge government conspirusy out there to get us, but people, come on! I just don't get the logic behind a flu shot. I don't see the evidence that it really helps, other than in your mind!!! You still end up getting the flu right? Just not as badly supposedly. You aren't sure about the testing of what's in that shot...could cause a number of things down the road that you aren't aware of yet. Nah, I'll leave my chances up to fate and hope and pray that I'm able to take care of my kids so no real harm comes to them while they are puking. Also, just in case some crazy doctor reads this and turns me into social services, if they do get really sick, I'll take them to the doctor...I swear.
So then anyway, I'll spend my New Years Day taking care of my baby, praying that my other kiddo doesn't catch it, dousing my hands in sanitizer, and probably hanging out. Which, other than the sick part, I was probably going to do anyway!
Cheers!