memory, continued

Thinking more about memory:

Once Y. coerced me into renting the film "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." I was reluctant mostly because I don't like Jim Carrey's acting, finding it far too histrionic and hysterical. This film was no exception. He was subdued but there was still a hysterical quality to his low-keyed portrayal (or maybe I just can't get over my prejudice). But the premise of the film appealed to me. The idea is that one can have memory completely erased, so that a new bigging, a "clean slate," will enable a better state of being.

I would alter this premise. I would like to erase bad memory and maintain good memory. Good memory creates a sense of place and self. But what good is a memory that just brings pain and sadness? These could be erased. Maybe that is just a form of denial, an attempt to eradicate bad memory and to prevent new bad memories.