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All Posts, Education & Politics

What Do You Have Memorized?

what do you have memorizedI have the following memorized:

  • Current credit card number
  • Phone numbers: mine, Dean’s, my parent’s home phone
  • Social security numbers: mine, Dean’s
  • Cal student ID number (still remember it even though I graduated 20 years ago)
  • The 50 states (sung to a song)
  • The greek alphabet (sung to a song)
  • All the presidents
  • Pi to the 50th decimal place
  • A few poems including the following

What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore–
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over–
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?

– Langston Hughes

Your turn. Would love to know what’s stuck in your head and what you can pull from the depths of your memory.

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03.13.18

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Comments

  1. Janine Huldie

    March 14, 2018 at 4:22 am

    I am mostly good with memorizing numbers. That probably has something to do with the ex-math teacher in me. But still I am much better remembering numbers versus names 🙂

    Reply
    • Catherine

      April 12, 2018 at 8:51 pm

      Janine, I am so horrible with names! It goes in one ear and out the other. And each time I say, this time I’m going to remember! But I never do 🙁

      Reply
  2. Patrick Weseman

    March 14, 2018 at 7:58 am

    Besides the basics of my life, I have so many useless facts that it is sad. Like remembering all the California governors from the present to the 1930’s, stupid stuff like that.

    I mean it is sad the useless amount of trivia that is floating around in my head. The other day, I was with some friends and a question came up about the Oscars and the Best Song category and I was able to answer it without looking it up.

    I am a sad human being.

    Reply
    • Catherine

      April 12, 2018 at 8:53 pm

      I love your random facts, Patrick. I think it’s super important to know the governors. You can totally educate me on stuff like that!

      Reply
  3. Tamara

    March 14, 2018 at 1:00 pm

    SAME. A Dream Deferred. I even wrote about it somewhat recently. Weird!
    And I have memorized the lyrics to “Eternal Flame” by The Bangles and “Just Like Heaven” by The Cure.

    Reply
    • Catherine

      April 12, 2018 at 8:54 pm

      Yes…Eternal Flame and the Bangles. Brings back memories of the 80s….the great 80s.

      Reply

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Welcome to my site, derived from an advice column I wrote while getting my MBA. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. I give helpful, opinionated advice based on my own experience and from the expertise of my extensive network. For more, click here.

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