So many of my embedded memories flow from family moments around a creaky kitchen table where my grandfather would light up a cigarette and share his wisdom. I remember one of those smoke-filled moments as he sucked on a Marlboro and asked, “What’s the purpose of collecting all those index cards, Bernard?” He couldn’t understand why I would have hundreds of 4×6 record cards in a leather catalogue case.
“It’s for the debate team, Grandpa,” I said. The old guy cleared his throat and coughed aggressively. He watched me build my Zettelkasten collections through high school and then continue the process for the first year of my university before he passed away. But my grandfather’s question of purpose still remains at the front of my mind.