Lots of women have an uncanny knack for remembering the anniversary of any number of significant life events … very often we can, on demand, give you a list of birthdays, dates we first met boys who play an important role in our lives, and just generally provide data on all sorts of interesting, meaningful events dotting our lives.
I recognize I’m generalizing here, but it’s my observation that men tend to have a much different perspective on the passage of time. Lots of men I know vastly underestimate how much time has passed since something important happened; several others have the opposite problem, feeling as though it was years ago when something occurred when, in fact, it was only a few short months. Is it any wonder, then, that when it comes to anniversaries of significant events, there’s a vast gap between the female experience and the male perspective?
I’m not complaining, mind you — only observing.
Any thoughts on why it’s so different for men and women?
I am terrible at remembering most dates of special occassions, but I am really good at remembering conversations, events, and other personal things. I guess, for me, the date isn't as important as the significance it has to my own personal life. In some ways you could say that I'm being a bit egocentric about it.