As long as we want it

You may have heard about people gifted with ‘photographic memory’. It’s an ability to recall everything you’d seen, as clearly and accurately as if you are actually seeing it in front of you. It’s like seeing mental photographs, or movie, from your own memories.

The first time I heard such gift, I was blown with awe and jealousy. I started imagining the possibilities. People with photographic memory, when traveling, they don’t have to take lots of picture to remember. They can pull it all from memories. Every scenery, every landscapes, buildings, all the expressions on the face of their friends, every moments, all the experiences. And when they watch a good movie, the only need to watch it ONCE. Then replay whenever they want. The same goes for music concerts, plays, sport matches..

And then I realized that when it comes to studying, they just have to read the textbooks once, look briefly at every pages, and recall them one-by-one during exams. I realized with jealousy that they can study everything.

That they can be anything at all, as long as they want it.

But then I thought about it, and realized that at least for that one last point, it actually applies to all of us as well. That is, as long as we want it.