In which Memory is short and an Attention Span is shorter

Last year I had a silver bracelet on which I had engraved a Latin word. It was a word I picked because I felt that in some way it “summed it all up”, and it would generally all be ok if I just bore it in mind. It was an abstract noun, a word which in English would have ended “-ty” (you know, like “authority” or “clarity” or something) which means in ended in “-tas” in Latin. I remember looking it up, researching it to make sure all the implications of it were good, everything. It seemed Significant at the time, and I was sad when the bracelet broke and got lost one day.

The thing is; what the hell was that word? I really have no idea. I think it was something to do with wit or friendliness or something like that, but I really don’t know. How is it that I write so many useless things down, in notebooks, in blogs, everywhere, but there’s no way for me to check this? How transient and passing are these fancies of mine that something so important (well, "important") is so utterly gone from my memory? This seems in some way indicative of Problems.

Also, aaargh, what am I doing typing this? I need to get on with this horrifying chapter draft!