Without memory we have nothing to shape us as individuals, we would all just be robots. Memories help us connect with the world around us. For example, when 9/11 occurred, it was traumatizing for many people. My mom was sitting at home with me and saw the broadcast of the event on the news. It shaped her and help her become more aware of situations and more involved in political issues. She can remember the day very vividly, almost like it was yesterday. I have the same feeling with the first day of my summer trip. I went on a six and a half week trip across the country in the summer of 2017. I do not remember every moment, but I do vividly remember the first day. It was super awkward because I am not exactly an extrovert. On the other hand, It was the first day of the best three months of my life.
I do not know why this day is so engraved into my mind, as I have many first days that I can not even recall. First day of high school, kindergarten, and work are all examples of days that I can not remember. I think this is because human brains are wired to sort through information. Whether it is information coming from our eyes, eyes, mouth, or hands. Maybe the first day of high school is not as important as other days in my life. Maybe my brain has sorted through the days of my lives and found the ones that have shaped me as an individual, and threw out the ones that do not matter.
For my study I would want to research how people use their memories and life experiences in different situations. How does a firefighter, who was involved in 9/11, react to certain occurrences in their career nowadays. I would get participants from all walks of life. I want the group of people to be as random as possible so I can generalize my claim. I would put each participant is individualized test after finding out what their most vivid memory is. I would monitor how they react or response to the stimulation. It would not cause harm to someone emotionally or physically. My ideal outcome is figuring out how memories affect us and why.
Ally'sCollegeBlog 
Hi Ally!
Human brains are indeed wired to sort through all of the information it is constantly receiving. First our brains receive information through encoding, we then retain that information through storage, and finally we later recall that information through a process called retrieval. This process is more salient when the memory has personal significance to us. Due to deep processing, even remembering specific words can be easier when the word is given meaning and context. This could be a big part of why you are able to remember some specific moments of your life and not others.
A very thoughtful first impression of memory!
Emily
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