Truth Be Told

I thought I’d read every petty bitch, but Cranky’s “Truthless Story?” about Mike Holme’s True Stories was a new one on me. While Cranky’s pedantic litany of facts (the exact time of sunset? come on!) about the Swiss Air tragedy is “interesting,” the comic was about a personal memory. The funny thing about memory is that it is imperfect. Not everyone feels compelled to fact-check their memories to Wikipedia.

I remember taking a drive and seeing soldiers working on the coast after the Swiss Air crash. It wasn’t until later in the day that I realized what they were there for. Can I remember what direction the sun was setting or the precise time I drove past? No. Does it really matter? Not really. What made the memory vivid was the gut-wrenching compassion I felt for all those touched by the event, not the details.

This article appears in May 1-7, 2008.