Taking Things To Heart

A thought just entered my mind a few minutes ago as I was watching a TV broadcast involving teaching grade-schoolers. Things have changed so drastically with the advent of the computer.

I remember when I was in the first grade, we had to memorize things until we knew them 'by heart.' What is the real correlation to memory and 'by heart'--is there any, or is it just a matter of semantics? Are both condemned to antiquity by the computer?

Now, no one 'memorizes' and the term 'by heart' is never heard. Everything is online. Just buzz it up, twitter it by, google it, ASK, or WIKIPEDIA or even YOUTUBE it!

Memory Lane...Cognitive or Recall is no longer relevant. Just hit a button.

I think when we committed something like the Pledge of Allegiance or the lyrics to America The Beautiful to memory that it meant a lot more than it does now.

We took it to heart back then.