This Woman Remembers Every Day of Her Life
Transcript
Imagine remembering every single day of your life, all in perfect detail.
For those with highly superior autobiographical memory, or H.S.A.M for short, this is their reality.
I remember everything that’s personally happened to me since I was born.
That’s Rebecca Sharrock. I was fascinated by this condition, so I called her up to find out more.
Hi, Rebecca.
Hi!
How are you going?
I’m doing alright. It’s a very wet Saturday morning here. How are you going?
Side note, in this moment, I just realized that Rebecca will remember that this day was a wet morning forever.
So, you remember everything in great detail.
People can remember what they did last Saturday, but I can remember what I did Saturday 10 years ago.
What about a memory from when you were just a baby?
When I was 12 days old, I was lying down on the fur car seat in my parent’s car, and I was staring up at the steering wheel, and I thought, “What is that?”
Rebecca is one of only 60 people worldwide to have been identified with having H.S.A.M
All through my teenage years, I thought that everybody remembered in this kind of way.
I thought it was completely normal.
It wasn’t until she was 21, when her parents decided to submit her to the university of California to undergo two years of testing.
After this, she was officially identified as having H.S.A.M.
Since memories can come to mind unexpectedly, any time of day, a negative memory like this can make living with H.S.A.M difficult.
Mom was putting me in this itchy satin dress, and I was crying because I didn’t like it, and mom gave me this Minnie Mouse toy, and I couldn’t say anything at the time, but her face terrified me.
But on most days H.S.A.M is a gift.
Rebecca can recall happy memories and moments when times get tough.
A good memory that makes me so thankful about having this kind of H.S.A.M memory.
Thanks for chatting Rebecca.
Yup, thanks.
Bye.
Vocabulary List
superior
(adjective) of higher quality, importance, or status
autobiographical
(adjective) being or connected with the story of a person’s life
fascinated
(adjective) feeling or showing great interest and excitement
fur
(noun) the soft, thick covering of hair on some animals
steering wheel
(noun) a wheel that is used to steer a vehicle
submit
(verb) to give to somebody in authority so that they can study or consider it
undergo
(verb) to experience or suffer something
identify
(verb) to establish or indicate who or what something is
unexpectedly
(adverb) in a way that was not expected
itchy
(adjective) causing or feeling a desire to scratch
recall
(verb) to remember something
thankful
(adjective) feeling or showing gratitude
Grammar Point
imagine + -ing form
Imagine remembering every single day of your life, all in perfect detail.
Imagine is followed by an -ing form, not an infinitive.
Imagine remembering …
Imagine remember … (wrong)
Imagine to remember … (wrong)
I can’t imagine living without music.
I can’t imagine live without music. (wrong)
I can’t imagine to live without music. (wrong)
collocations with superior
For those with highly superior autobiographical memory, or H.S.A.M for short, this is their reality.
The adjective “superior” is often used with these adverbs:
far superior
vastly superior
greatly superior
infinitely superior (=very much better)
inherently superior (=better because of its nature)
technically superior
fascinated + by + noun
I was fascinated by this condition, so I called her up to find out more.
We use the adjective “fascinated” with the preposition “by.”
I was fascinated by this condition.
I was fascinated of this condition. (wrong)
I was fascinated with this condition. (wrong)
adverb + adjective + noun + noun
It’s a very wet Saturday morning here. How are you going?
We can use adjectives and other nouns to modify (add information to) a noun.
In “wet Saturday morning”
– main noun: morning
– the noun “Saturday” adds additional information
– the adjective “wet” adds additional information
We can use adverbs to modify an adjective.
In “very wet Saturday morning “
– the adverb “very” adds information to the adjective “wet.”
Examples of noun phrases using the pattern: adverb + adjective + noun + noun
– very old dining table
– very expensive sports car
– very scary horror movie
collocations with detail
So, you remember everything in great detail.
The noun “detail” is often used with these adjectives:
great detail
considerable detail
enough detail
sufficient detail
little detail (=not much detail)
fine detail (=very exact detail)
minute detail (=very exact detail)
precise detail (=very exact detail)
meticulous detail (=very careful detail)
graphic detail (=a lot of very clear and often unpleasant detail)
vivid detail (=in such a way that they seem real)
Common Expressions
How are you going?
The phrase “how are you going?” is a casual way of asking someone how they are doing. It is often used as a greeting in spoken English. The phrase is similar to “how are you?”, but it is more informal and less direct.
The phrase “how are you going?” originated in the United Kingdom, and it is still more common in British English than in American English.
side note
Side note, in this moment, I just realized that Rebecca will remember that this day was a wet morning forever.
The phrase “side note” is used in speech to introduce a piece of information that is not directly related to the main topic of conversation. It is often used to add a personal anecdote, to share a thought that has just occurred to the speaker, or to make a clarification.
For example, if you are talking about your plans for the weekend, you might say “On a side note, I forgot to tell you that my parents are coming to visit.” This would be a side note because it is not directly related to your plans for the weekend, but it is something that you feel is important to share.
on most days
But on most days H.S.A.M is a gift.
The phrase “on most days” means that something happens more often than not, but not necessarily all the time. It is a way of expressing a general trend or tendency.
For example, you might say “I go to the gym on most days” to mean that you go to the gym most of the time, but there are some days when you don’t go.
when times get tough
Rebecca can recall happy memories and moments when times get tough.
The phrase “when times get tough” is an idiom that means “when things become difficult.” It is often used to encourage people to persevere through difficult times. The phrase is based on the idea that when things are tough, the strong people will rise to the challenge.
The phrase “when times get tough” is often used in conjunction with other phrases, such as “the tough get going” or “the only way out is through.” These phrases all convey the same message: that when things are tough, it is important to keep going and not give up.