The Influence of Emotions

During our class discussion of Maya Angelou’s "Champion of the World", the power of emotion was brought up. We unanimously agreed that most of the chapter must have been fictional (and that it would have been impossible for Angelou to remember this event so vividly all the way down to the exact words that were spoken and the exact actions that were performed). We also agreed, though, that this event must have been extremely significant in her life. So significant that she was able to remember the emotions she felt during the time.

The discussion made me think about my own life and how emotions affect my memories so strongly.
There are many times when we are unable to recall the minutiae of a point in time, and yet we can still feel the emotions that are associated with the occurrence as a whole. 

On the first day of high school, you may have been nervous. On the day of your birthday, you may have been happy. On a snow day, you may have been feeling relieved (now you have time to do the homework you were too lazy to finish!). On… well, you get the point. 

Your feelings are essential for helping your memories exist and persist, and it is important for you to hold onto them for as long as you can.