The Art of Forgetfulness

I think these daily German vocabulary drills have improved my short term memory. I feel I can remember names of people I meet much better than I used to. I feel it's good for overall brain fitness. Just a feeling!

But counterbalancing my sense of increased acumen is the plight of the protagonist of the book I'm reading called Geschichte vom Alten Kind by Jenny Erpenbeck, a contemporary female German author. It's a bizarre and surreal account of a young girl found on the street and committed to an orphanage. Her past is an enigma even to herself; she's a very in-the-moment type, and here's a lovely passage on her relationship to memory:

Es ist kaum vorstellbar, daβ jemand so vergeβlich sein kann. Während die anderen ihr Leben damit verbringen, Hintergedanken anzusammeln und aus dem Vergleich von Geschehnissen Folgerungen zu knüpfen, übt sich das Mädchen in der Kunst des Vergessens.