Mr Remember

By Sara Close

 

Are you sitting comfortably? Then I will begin.

Mr Remember lived in Memory town. He was a thoughtful fellow who loved to think and wanted to preserve each and every moment. It is good to think. It is therefore not a surprise, you will agree, that he worked in the town archives recording and conserving key events.

He often found that he brought his work home with him. Not in the way that you or I would bring home an assignment. Instead, he found his work became an extension of himself. He became he his work and his work became him.

Think, preserve, repeat. Think, preserve, repeat. Think, preserve, repeat.

It started small, like a tiny, little seed; insignificant and unnoticeable. They say the best ideas start out small. So do the worst. Over time it grew and as it grew the roots took hold. It sprouted new shoots and was no longer a tiny, little seed. Fully formed it became established. Think, preserve, repeat.

To put it simply, his work was to record events. But at home he recorded ideas. Some were brilliant, bright, beautiful sparks of genius. We all have these and I’m sure you can see the benefit of recording them. These where the seeds of hope he began with. A post it note here or there with a revelation. He grew confident and with this confidence he told himself you must write more. So he did. Soon every idea he ever thought had to be written down. The house became decorated with ideas. More and more cluttering and choking the walls. He wrote so much he couldn’t see the wood for the trees; the idea for the post it notes.

He knew he had had a good thought, but it became it lost. He started to read through what he had written. He couldn’t find what he wanted. As he despaired he continued to write, for what else could he do. These were not the flames of imagination that at first ignited his passion. Dark negative thoughts. I can’t do this. I am no good at.  I tried, but it’s rubbish. He thought and he wrote, he wrote and he thought. Out of control he knew it must stop.

It is a good thing that Mr Remember was a close friend with Mr Tidy, the cleaner, at work and he noticed a marked change. As he cleaned Mr Remember’s office he found that it too had been covered with post it notes. Each negative idea persevered and looming over. The windows covered with negative thoughts no light could come in. It was stifling. Things needed to change.

Mr Tidy took his friend for a walk. Whilst cleaning he had uncovered under an array of negative messages some sparks of inspiration. Confronted with these truths of I can, I shall and I will it was clear that there was talent. He had achievements and successes. Things had to change. He must own his thoughts. I did and I can.

A seed needs nurture: planting, water, warmth, sunlight. If you plant it in shade it will not grow. If you pile rocks on top, the shoots with stumble. If you tell the seed it will fail, it will fail.

Returning from their walk it was clear what had to be done. Dustpan and brush in hand was time for a spring clean. They were going to take back control.