Ireland does good

I stumbled upon Ruben Ireland's (you get one guess as to where he's from) awesome work recently and was completely charmed. So charmed in fact that I am dedicating a section of my living room to his work. Let's not even go into the headache of getting big packages shipped from Europe--totally worth it. 


Two very limited edition pillows for one of the couches and a lovely framed piece for the center.

Take a look: 

See me reminisce about objects, sounds, and locations

One of the most intriguing things about the human mind is its ability to associate locations, sounds, and objects with events and people. Not just a rough association—rather, a clear and almost methodical ability to remember specific details when recalling a memory.

I tried to do some research on this and after looking through dozens of asinine mind maps, I began to stop trying to place logic or order to how the brain functions in this respect.  

So instead of conducting a fruitless hunt, I decided to simply venerate this neat ability and share my impressions of it.

Personally, my mind often tends to lose focus on what I did just last week, but somehow, when a particular song plays, I can immediately recall a detailed memory of the past. How is it that the brain is able to discern that this particular song was played years ago and how can it clearly recall all of the associated details (i.e. the people, surrounding, mood, atmosphere, etc.)? Yet this same mind  cannot recall a recent conversation or what happened the week prior?

I can visit a location I have not been to in years, but the moment I see it again, the past comes flooding in again in full detail--my mind begins to reminisce about the specific time I last arrived in the location and I can recall what I did, wore, said, and felt. Some of these memories could be from over 15 years ago, but they suddenly seem like a recent memory.

Sitting at a table, I can look at an object—something as simple as a book and I can immediately remember the first time I received it, the memories I had sharing that book with someone, the discussion that may have surrounded me whilst the book was being held. This is such an odd thing.

The ability to recollect the past in this way and reminisce is probably one of the greatest gifts we have.  Also, the way that physical objects trigger memories reminds me that I can never go digital in terms of everything I own. I need those tangible objects and locations as much as I need to hear sounds and see images to trigger the memories that make me believe in how powerful our minds really are.

With that said, remembering the past is a double-edged sword in many ways. It’s a challenge since we can't control when our minds are recollecting all of this information. Based on your current situation and when you perceive these thoughts, you may be filled with delight or experience unwanted anxiety.


So yes, I don’t always like to reminisce, but I have come to embrace these moments of clarity. It’s something that I won’t take for granted.