Things You Should Know by Heart

Remember the days when you would have the phone numbers and birthdays of all of your friends and family memorized? We can still recall the home phone numbers of our best friends from grade school…and their birthdays too, for that matter. Now, it seems we rely on our memory less and less as everything is so neatly saved and available for us electronically. In fact, most YPs probably don’t even know their significant other’s cell number. Shamefully, we recently forgot two good friends’ birthdays because we did not have them on Facebook. There are, however, a few things that we should have memorized in this day and age, either in the case of electronic failure, theft or simply to make our lives easier.  

The birthdays of your close friends and family
It is expected that you know the birthdays of those you are closest to, even if it they are already programmed into your phone or stated on Facebook. If these not-to-miss dates are implanted into your brain, you will have ample warning/prep time in the event you should so decide to throw them a surprise party or avoid planning an engagement party on their 30th birthday.  

The phone numbers of your parents and SO’s 
If you are ever in a jam, and your phone is broken, dead or stolen, make sure you know the numbers of the people who can help you the most and who are likely most concerned for your well-being your parents or your significant others. 

Your credit card number
Although it is assumed you always have your credit card in close proximity to you, memorizing your credit card number will simplify your life in everything from online shopping and a Friday night pizza delivery to the always-unfortunate event of reporting it lost or stolen. 

The names of your friend’s SOs and kids
If you forget the name of your friend’s SO or child once, they usually let it slide; but more than once, and they may begin to take it personally, especially when it comes to the child. Don’t frantically comb your friend’s Facebook profile while you sit in the car outside their home because you don’t know names. 

Two to five favourite quotes or mantras
Sometimes, a few words of wisdom are all we need to refocus and keep moving ahead. It is one thing to copy and paste a quote from a quote website to your Facebook status but another to actually know the words and meaning of the phrase inside out. 

Your postal code
We find a startling number of frequently relocating YPs actually do not know their postal code off hand. More of a convenience issue than anything, knowing your postal code is a must, especially when online shopping (from the couch when you don’t feel like getting up to retrieve it from a piece of mail), filling out a form in a walk-in clinic (when you’re already sick) or completing a ballot at a charity event.  

Your passport number
For that always-annoying time on the plane when you have to fill out your declaration form and, in addition to either scrambling for a pen or having to awkwardly ask the person beside you to borrow theirs, you have to rummage back through your carry-on to find your passport and number.