Why I Should Never Write From Memory

I owe you an apology.  Last night, when I was writing about discovering the movie, “The Way” in a Tahlequah video store, I described the DVD cover from memory.  I actually did a pretty good job of it, too.

It’s a shame I was wrong.

What I described was, in fact, the movie poster.  As you can see, I wasn’t too far off in the description.  It does have something of an "Abbey Road" vibe.  The thing is, it was several months later when I saw this image for the first time.

Here’s what I actually saw in the video store that night.

In hindsight, I can see why this caught my eye that night.  A man with a backpack, walking alone, at a time when I felt VERY alone.  That man is clearly Martin Sheen.  I like Martin Sheen.  Finally, the tag line on the DVD cover was, “You don’t choose a life, you live one.”  Knowing where my spirit was in that chapter of my life, I can see why I picked this up, when nothing else appealed to me.

It’s funny what a fluid thing memory is:  Constantly changing, flowing, rearranging itself.  I used to say with confidence that I had crystal-clear memory.  Now, I remember things with equal clarity.  Problem is, I remember things in a very different way from how they actually happened, or I have cinematic memories of things that never happened at all.

Here’s my promise for the day:  When recounting my past, I will always try my best to give an accurate and true account.  That being said, I have to issue a blanket disclaimer by reminding you that the fiction writer in my head may have had his way with that moment, and it may well be… fiction.  Sorry about that.