Trying to forget--how does that work? It's easy enough to accidentally forget something I really ought to remember, but intentionally trying to forget something is like trying not to think about green elephants or trying to wipe an annoying tune out of your mind.
Go ahead: try not to think about the last time you did the Chicken Dance. Don't think about how ridiculous you felt flapping your elbows like a chicken under the glittery disco ball at the roller rink, and don't think about that constant fear that you might fall off your skates right there in front of everyone. And especially don't think about that annoying tinny tune. Put it right out of your mind. No humming! Not a peep!
See? Impossible.
But my sole New Year's Resolution for 2013 is to forgive and forget some resentments I've been carrying around for far too long--not because the people involved deserve forgiveness but because keeping anger alive takes too much energy. Time to write 'em all down, toss 'em in the fire, and forget where the ashes are buried.
But how?
Suppose I decide to forget all about the Infamous Chair Incident of 2001. Painful as it was, that incident long ago switched categories from gross injustice to just another funny story so that even if I succeed in forgetting, one of these days I'll be sitting at a social event and one of my wonderful colleagues will say, "Hey, tell that story about the chair!" Unforgettable.
There's more to life than the Infamous Chair Incident of 2001--but if I label those resentments and keep their stories alive, they'll fester unforgettably.
And I really want to forget. I'm tired of thinking evil thoughts every time certain people cross my path, so it's time to wipe the slate clean on resentment and hit the reset button on relationships.
That's my New Year's resolution--and the only way I'll know it's successful is if I forget I ever made it.
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