I cannot remember which article I was reading. It must have been the one about the new California Governor who will succeed Schwarzenegger. Apparently he was already governor 36 years ago. That’s a long time ago isn’t it? By my calculation it is one year over my whole lifespan. But that is not the first calculation that comes to mind. It’s just that – the calculation we automatically make when we read the phrase “years ago”. Somehow in my mind there is an automatic conversion system that still plants the phrase “30 years ago” firmly between the 50s and 60s.
I noticed this phenomenon when I actually tried to calculate the last time when Brown (Arnie‘s replacement) was actually Governor. It turns out that 36 years ago is 1974 (obviously – since I was born in 1975 – vide supra). What jarred was that my original “calculation” as I skimmed through the article placed Brown firmly in the Kennedy era. The minds’ automatic association for the phrase “35 years ago” is circa 1960. Ditto for “25 years ago” circa 1970) and a little less for closer approximations.
I wonder whether this happens to anyone else. Do you associate specific phrases with specific dates or is it just my brain being lazy?
P.S. Turns out that the article I read might have actually been wrong about how long ago Brown was governor. But that is not really the point here is it.
Related articles
- Calif. voters give Brown another turn as governor (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
