One Second (Mostly) Every day 2018

My mind doesn’t hold memories that well. If someone tells me about an event, a shared experience from the past, I nod gingerly but I usually only have a vague recollection.

That is scary. What if all I remember of life is few bits and pieces. Memories scattered like stars in the sky that when you try to zoom in on, you find they are separated by seemingly absolute desolation. An impenetrable emptiness. And the stars are fuzzy too!

So when I stumbled upon Cesar Kuriyama’s TED talk on recording one second every day, I was instantly fascinated.

The idea is to record just one second of a day that can later act as a cue to jog our memories. You look back and go: “Oh, right, that day!”. Why only one second? Well, you could record longer but that might take away from actually living the moment. You might end up with a record of memories you didn’t actually live while you were busy recording.

I loved the idea so much that I recorded my first second right then and there. Thankfully, the habit stuck. I do miss some days now and then but I mostly keep to it.

It means I have a way to look back at 2018 in more color and detail. I am able to recollect a bit more. The stars are still far apart but I can see some stardust between, that are beautiful in their own way. It’s not all stretches of vast emptiness.

Thoughts and Notes

• There were highs, there were lows. But most days were of course, of the mundane kind. In 2018, I barely went out of the valley. Some days I scarcely left the house. Some days I barely went out of my room. Some days I barely went out of my mind (though arguably that’s a good thing). But even on those “daily drudgery” kind of days, it seems we can find a moment or two to admire. In fact, maybe they are the more special ones, for they are more easily found and linger around more often. Or even if there are none, that’s okay. The vast and seemingly empty space between the stars also makes up our universe, our life.

• I wouldn’t be correct in saying the process/project itself didn’t influence certain decisions. For better or worse (mostly the former I think), it definitely nudged me towards experiences that would be more memorable.

• All clips don’t lead to the same detail of recollection. Some seconds do lead me back to the time and place but there are clips that still don’t help me recollect the day. Not exactly sure what features of the clips are more conducive to better recall. Oh well.

• Looking back, I think I can see what’s important in life: Food. Kidding! Okay, it’s the people. So…

• Everyone (whether you are in the video or not), thank you for existing.

• Oh, and another thank you to everyone who gave me rides.

Anyway, this mashup is only of value, only means something to me. But I hope it encourages others to try as well. It is worth the (minor) effort.

Happy new year! May your year be imbued with mundane wonderfulness!

Written on January 2nd , 2019 by Bijay Gurung