By LEONARD GRAY

One of these days, I’ll write my memoires, but hold them back until after I’m dead. Sometimes, my own memory surprises me.

Take for example Thursday, as I was leaving an interview and entered the elevator.

A deputy had been reading a plaque in memory of Deputy James Alan Arterbury, killed in the line of duty back in 1973. I remarked to her I had covered that story nearly 28 years ago and surprised her with quite specific details about the incident.

I do that sort of thing a lot.

I’ll remember something said by Rick Shread of Shread-Kuyrkendall back from when he was representing Dawson Engineers in Zachary in 1979.

I’ll remember a passing remark made to me at the Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo 10 years or so ago, when a tipsy lawyer portentiously informed me I would “work for him someday.”

Sorry, hasn’t happened yet.And won’t.

I’ll remember things sometimes at the most inconvenient moments, such as a lawsuit filed against the parish and years later, remember that suit when the person suing is appointed to represent the parish on a board.

I shocked one judge when I recalled that years before, he briefly served as a temporary school board member. He thought no one remembered that!

My files will also inconvenience someone, someday, such as my files on 16 years of covering the South Louisiana Port Commission.

I’ll dredge up all sorts of things, from recognizing someone I did a feature article on 15 years ago or remember a cheerleader six years later when she returns to the same school as a teacher – and then remember a photo I had of her in my files and give it to her.

That sort of memory is good for a historican, since he can usually lay hands on information quickly, such as the picture of the Reserve Community Club elsewhere in this issue.

However, sometimes that memory deserts me.

Sometimes, I’ll be someplace far from here and a person will greet me. If I had seen that person here, I’d recognize the name and person immediately. Elsewhere, I may not.

And that sort of “selective memory” can be useful in other ways, for example, when my wife asked me to take out the kitchen trash. However, getting it to the curb on the right day is iffy.

LEONARD GRAY is assistant managing editor for L’Observateur.