Change Quote by Carolyn Parkhurst
““I have heard that sometimes when a person has an operation to transplant someone else's heart or liver or kidney into his body, his tastes in foods change, or his favorite colors, as if the organ has brought with it some memory of its life before, as if it holds within it a whole past that must find a place within its new host. This is the way I carry Lexy inside me. Since the moment she took up residency within me, she has lent her own color to the way I see and hear and taste, so that by now I can barely distinguish between the world as it seemed before and the way it seems now. I cannot say what air tasted like before I knew her or how the city smelled as I walked its streets at night. I have only one tongue in my head and one pair of eyes, and I stopped being able to trust them a long time ago.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Podcast on organ transplantation experiences, 2022
The speaker feels that an organ transplant carries the donor’s memories, altering perception and identity, making it hard to trust one’s senses.
In simple terms: Transplanted organs may change how we perceive the world.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how profound experiences reshape self‑perception.
Themes
identity
memory
perception
trust
Mood
reflective
introspective
Type
personal narrative
philosophical
When to use this quote
- medical recovery
- grief processing
- personal identity
- sensory integration
Key Concepts
psychology
neuroscience
philosophy
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you differentiate between physical and emotional changes after a transplant?
- Can memory be transferred biologically?
A Different Perspective
The metaphor may overstate biological influence; changes could be psychological.
