Has this ever happened to you?

Does this sound familiar? Has this ever happened to you?

You are driving along on a beautiful day, and since driving is the time that, for whatever reason, you seem to do your best thinking, you often come up with your best thoughts while driving. For a few years, I was carrying around a little pocket notebook for just such occasions, and would jot down quick little notes for later use, and would write down what thoughts might come when I could, even when driving. hell, even when I went to bed, my notebook would not be far! So, when I was in front of the computer later on, I would instantly "remember" my thought once I could read it, and then elaborate on it. Sometimes, it truly seemed brilliant, even by daylight. Other times, you wonder just how awake you really must have been to consider that thought brilliant. You anxiously turn the next morning, and see something written that either makes no sense (I remember vaguely having been drifting off to sleep once, but having what seemed like an urgent thought, only to find a color jotted down. It had seemed so important the night before, but I could not make any sense of the color

Another major problem, at least if you're like me, is that what you are writing might just be illegible. This can be particularly pronounced when I am only half awake, or when the thoughts are coming so fast and furious, that I am rushing to try and race to jot them down before I lose any of them.  My handwriting is, admittedly, bad enough when fully awake and alert, so when I'm asleep? Or when I am writing in a rush? Fuggedaboudit! Might as well not bother writing it in the first place.

Any way, I have unfortunately been getting away from this trend lately, and have more often than not been without a notebook as of late. Not entirely sue why, and sometimes, when I have a thought that seems urgent to get back to and work on later, when time permits, I can just kick myself!

That is what happened yesterday, as I was driving on a sunny, Sunday afternoon. The thought related to recent posts on the same topic that I have written about these last three or so days ( I know, I know, get over that subject already, right?), but it seemed so simple, and made so much sense, that I recited two lines repeatedly, figuring I could keep reciting them all the way to work, then jot them down with a pen and maybe some receipt, or other expendable paper that was available in the car, or my wallet, or whatever.

Of course, I lost track at some point, probably less than ten seconds after I had begun reciting! Can you say annoying! Before long, I was at work, and rushing to get inside and prepare for the shift. I remembered that I was supposed to remember something, just not what it was. It occurred to me that it was a thought, and then I take a step back and retrace my steps. the memory of driving and thinking this "brilliant" thought was there. i can even remember reciting words, but not the actual words I recited. The memory is lost, kind of like perhaps a song that comes on that you are enjoying, and then perhaps not being able to remember the song later on, or maybe the artist who performs it. Then, you go nuts trying to recall it, and you curse your memory for not being able to. Something like that. That happens to me all of the time, and not just with songs or artists, but with my own thoughts!

Anyway, so be it. Part of me did not place greater emphasis on keeping the notebook because, well, I never actually planned to do away with it, but once I stopped carrying it with me, it seemed I constantly forgot. Like it was meant to happen that way. Not a big deal. Also, Stephen King mentioned this about writing notes, and I am inclined to agree. He wondered how good a thought can truly be if you cannot even remember it? I remember that to provide comfort whenever these thoughts escape me. Really, how good could it be, how much of an effect could it possibly have had, if it was not on my mind enough to even remember it?