A Nifty Memory Aid

At noon, I went to one of my favorite cafes by Santa Clara University. I ordered a tuna salad and coffee for lunch. The place was rather crowded with business types from surrounding high tech firms. They were busy talking to one another or talking on their cell phones. Just above the din of conversation, I could hear guitar music and somebody singing.

There were a few empty tables scattered about and I eventually found one I liked. As I sat down, I looked up and saw two young men at a nearby table. One was singing and the other was playing a guitar. The guitarist and I made eye contact. He looked familiar, but I couldn't place him. He smiled lopsidedly and gave me a nod. I smiled, nodded and then buried my nose in a book.

The two weren't performing for anybody in particular. They were there to practice and write music. It was interesting overhearing some of their creative process. I continued to read, but in the back of my mind, it was bugging me that I couldn't remember where I had seen the guitarist before.

My salad finally arrived and I ate it while trying to think. It wasn't until I was sipping the last of my coffee when wisps of a memory drifted across my brain. He had performed at a cafe near San Jose State last year! I couldn't recall specifics like his name or the cafe's name for that matter, but I could remember writing about it in this journal.

As I left, I gave the mystery guitarist a parting nod and rushed back to the office to run a search. And wouldn't you know it? I wrote about Sonny playing at Cafecito nearly a year and a half ago. I was so overjoyed to find that speck of information. Who knew this journal could be such a nifty memory aid?