“Much of the information a person needs to do a task can reside in the world. Behavior is determined by combining the information in memory (in the head) with thaht in the world”
– The Design of Everyday Things (Donald A. Norman)
It struck me this afternoon, driving down Dandenong road, towards Springvale road and the monthly event that is the Springvale Computer Swap meet – I miss Jessie. She’s gone off to Tassie to visit family for a month or two.
We had our first Faculty of Information Technology Ball this year. An event I seem to remember twice nearly dying completely in the arse. An event I want the title “official mediator” on. An event so in the middle of all the shit that went down in the latter half of this year. She managed to help keep me sane which is never an easy task even at the best of times.
We’d been shopping and bought her a dress. It’s amazing how people assume you’re a couple if you go formal wear shopping together. I guess it figures though, not that many gues take girls shopping with them. It’s usually the other way around, and only with the girlfriend, ’cause otherwise you get in trouble. I guess that’s just not me. Jessie was going to make a bag and shawl to go with the dress and needed to buy some material to make them. This is how we ended up at the Spotlight at the corner of Dandenong and Springvale roads. We weren’t there for long, but everytime I drive past there, I think of that time.
It’s the same as with driving down South Road towards Brighton and any trip down the Maroondah highway. Both for different people. But these I no longer see.
The park on Jasper Road will only ever remind me of friday nights from high school. We were all to young/broke to go out, so we went down to the park and made our own fun. Picking up Pizza, getting some drinks and for some reason – the topless can-can.
All special moments in life, and all remembered by going to a place. A special place that only we can attribute that great memory to. It’s not a magnificent place, it’s the magnificent knowledge of our lives stored in the places we visit.