When Is It Time to Retire a Memory?

How long do you hold onto a memory? When do you know when it’s time to let it go? Why is it important to have this pin on a blazer I wear at a new job?

I began to ask myself this question this past week after receiving a new lapel pin for my “emergency work blazer.” I keep it behind my office door in case I need one for a surprise “formal” work event. On the lapel was a pin of a running Mustang I received from the Vice President a few years ago when I worked at another college.

And that college has since closed.

Before the blazer became my emergency work blazer, it was my go-to interview blazer. A nice cotton-linen blend, it was great to pair with a nice sweater or polo shirt. I had a lovely plaid pin on one of the lapels and the Mustang on the other. Yesterday, I paused when I pulled the jacket off its hook and looked at the Mustang pin that was still on its lapel.

Did I want to keep it on the lapel and add another pin? Did I need the Mustang on the lapel, in addition to a new pin? Or did I want or need to remove the Mustang and replace it entirely with a new pin?

This felt like a silly question, but it was full of emotion for me. Because that pin represented a part of me that felt important to remember.