compliments

Today at work we were discussing the FBI's lowering of the bar. Previously they've had a policy that incomers could never have even tried an illegal drug, but now they have to loosen up because it's too difficult to find people that have never even tried one.

So my co-worker paid me a pretty sweet compliment when he said I'd be perfect for the CIA, NSA, or FBI because I hold on to details like temperature, time, etc. He said I'm really good at recalling details in personal stories. I think I'm only good at it when it's a story that involves high emotionm, or something I feel strongly about. I mean, sometimes I forget how books end, but can practically retell random excerpts that I thought were very meaningful, that thus formed my opinion of the book, regardless of the story-line.

I remember in Amy Tan's book "The Kitchen God's Wife" when the main character reveals to her best friend what the worst day of her life was. Her best friend had been with her that day too, but she didn't remember that day standing out more than any other day at all, it was memorable, but not more horrible than others. The character then realizes how differently two people experiencing the same thing can be affected by it. I feel like that character a lot.