I have just realized this very morning how my feelings of or perceptions of someone rely on my last encounter. Other people I know can remember stories, details, and events regarding the people in their lives and view these people as a sum of all of these parts. For whatever reason, I remember very few details about people and see them holistically, but based almost solely on our last encounter. My feelings toward you will hinge upon our last meeting, which will likely override prior experiences. (The exception to this would be someone with a history of exceptionally horrific or exceptionally positive behavior.) This has its benefits and detriments. As a teacher, it allows me to give students a clean slate each day, but as a person, well, let’s just say it makes me feel like I have a long term memory problem.

Perhaps, in reference to my previous post, I need to be more present in conversations and make an effort to really listen rather than just hear.