it's all in your head.

So I hadn't (and perspectively still haven't) taken much time to think about empiricism and where I fall among the beliefs, but the other day I was asked a simple question that forced me to stop about 3 hours after I answered it. I was sitting around with some family in town for a few days, about to say my goodbye's before heading off to work [some might argue that "work" should be contained in quotations when dealing with me, but that'll be for another day and post.]

N. was talking about how she can never seem to remember past trips or events when people will remind her of a funny story from their time together. Her response usually consists of a confused look and invitation for further story-telling. She thinks it's weird that we "don't remember most of our life." I chuckled, and then received a few, not unkind, looks.
I explained that I thought we remember A LOT of life; we mustn't be contantly reliving the past lest we cease living in the present. T. went on to ask us all to share our earliest memory. Mine is of this translucent pink bottle I had as an infant/toddler. It was an oval shaped with an opening in the middle so I could easily hold onto it. I also remember my time in the hospital when I had shingles as a toddler.

Now, I might argue that there is an earlier memory we all have AND remember in present life -- the memory of love.
This is where empiricism comes into play. I used to think it was ignorant to believe that only what we experience is reality. However the more I think about an omniscient Creator, the more validity I find in it. If the one who made us knows it all, and we are made in the image of our Creator, then through our creation we experience the omniscience of the Creator.
This has a possibility of being defined as "innate ideas." Perhaps the hope we hold in our minds is inevitable due to the nature of creation. When we sense things are unfair or unjust in this life, we do so naturally because we inherently know love. This is where I find problems in life, where contradictions lead to anger. Anger in my sentiments comes from unconditional love of a person and disapproval of their actions.

I will continue this most likely during the Lenten season.