On Thought Contiguity

"Contiguity of thought" is a process by which we remember certain things, one of several processes, actually, but the one I'd like to focus on for a moment.

Most people are familiar with "continuity." It's continuous. One after the other. 17 follows 16. A, then B, then C perhaps.

Contiguity isn't so much linear as next to. Apartment 17 is next to apartment 19. And you remember it because it has that green door jam that looks Christmas-y next to apartment 21's red welcome mat.

"Because it's next to that other thing" is rather sadly how I remember a lot of details, actually.

For example, today at work I heard "Groove Thing" on the radio, so I thought of where I typically here "Groove Thing," which would be one particular dance number in An Extremely Goofy Movie.

Suddenly I'm thinking about A Goofy Movie, disco, Goofy's second wife the librarian, P.J. becoming a beatnik, "Whatever happened to Roxanne?" and marveling that Goofy had the life experience to know to bribe the bouncer and DJ to get his request played in a club immediately. Suddenly I'm thinking of how to better my life through experience and confidence.

And I'm also humming a Powerline song, but that's beside the point, almost.