I Forgot Day is celebrated each year on 2nd July and is dedicated to forgetfulness. While we may be surrounded by calendars, both physical and digital, we still forget. It is a reminder to regenerate our response to reminders. This is a day when people acknowledge their flaws.
"Are you prone to forget important dates and occasions" asked Ian Henery, the Poet in Residence of Wolverhampton`s radio station, WCR FM? "There`s just so much going on in today`s busy world that we can`t possibly keep track of it all. Worry no more! Here`s a day you can celebrate forgetfulness so note it down so you don`t forget it next time!"
Forgetfulness unfortunately means having to apologise to people for missed appointments and parties.
"National I Forgot Day is the perfect opportunity" said Ian Henery "to get ahead of all the apologising you`ll have to do for the next 12 months and make up for the things you have already forgotten".
Psychologists believe there`s lots of things which contribute to forgetfulness including stress, which just leads to more stress, lack of sleep, aging, illness and poor diet.
"One of the theories" explained Ian Henery "involves actually walking through a door. Psychologists believe that our brains perceive the world as a sort of series of scenes or frames, like in a movie and passing through a door causes it to dump all the information from the previous room as unimportant. So we forget."
The whole purpose of National I Forgot Day is to make amends for those things we have forgotten and to admit it to the people who have been affected by our forgetfulness. We must let people know we still appreciate them and make amends like using calendar apps on our smart phones and setting up reminders for the future. There are many ways to celebrate the day including sharing funny stories by normalising situation as part of being human, using sticky notes to help us remember important things, playing memory games and puzzles with our families and making a to-do-list.
"National I Forgot Day" is an important chance to set things right" explained Ian Henery "and make sure the next year is full of a few less "I`m sorry, I forgot" days than the previous one. It`s a day to celebrate our forgetfulness and laugh about our mistakes. The day is celebrated to encourage people to live peacefully and worry less about what they may forget."
I’m Sorry I Forgot
(for National I Forgot Day)
Batman can`t go out, ladders in his tights,
Gotham lies helpless in the deepest night.
Celebrity gone for superheroes,
Franchise disappeared, they`re earning zero.
Wolverine`s out to lunch, phone off the hook,
Midlife crisis, manicure he has booked
And they are sorry, the X Men
Wondering if they`ll work again -
And I`m sorry, really sorry,
Writing sorry with this old pen.
I never said John Lennon couldn`t sing
But the Silver Beatles were not my thing.
I took a dislike to that Mick Jagger,
I always thought he had too much swagger.
Styled myself on Arthur Lowe, Dad`s Army,
Refused to sign the Sex Pistols, just barmy;
Now hear Arthur say "stupid boy",
Arthur Lowe`s right - where is the joy?
And I`m sorry, really sorry
Must confess - no point in being coy.
The mariner who lost his way at sea,
The chef who`s forgotten his recipes;
That sad old captain of the Titanic
Who hit an iceberg which was gigantic;
How about Jack who sold the cow for beans?
Cheated of a magic beanstalk, so mean?
Jack`s family now out on a limb,
And his brothers are looking Grimm
And I`m sorry, really sorry
My chances of reprieve are slim.
Take a good look at the state of the world:
Where are banners of peace and love unfurled?
Have we forgotten that we are all one?
One people, one planet under one sun?
If we forget this we will be sorry,
Crushed beneath wheels of history`s lorry;
It`s bigger than the Berlin Wall,
Almost Biblical like The Fall
And I`m so sorry I forgot Truth - I`m the sorriest of all.
Ian Henery 24/6/23
