I was recently reading a book where the characters discuss their first memories. I don’t have a lot of early memories. The first really clear one I have; I would have been five years of age. That seems late, but I honestly can’t recall anything solid before that.
The date of the memory was May of 1977. Yep. That would be my first trip to the movie theater to see Star Wars. As far as first memories go, this was epic. It is my first memory with a lot of details.
Later that year, I vividly remember August 16. On that day I was riding my bike and the girl who lived across the street came running out to inform me Elvis had died. Again, I was five. I kind of knew who Elvis was, but my mom liked Ricky Nelson over Elvis, so I kept riding my bike. I remember how upset my friend was. They must have been an Elvis household.
I think I have little flashes of memories from earlier, but nothing solid that I can nail down—nothing with details before Star Wars.
Most folks I know have memories from much earlier in their life. I blame my lack of early memories on being dropped on my head and the massive amounts of secondhand smoke I was exposed to at my grandparents’ house early in life.
As I took my daughter back to school a couple of weeks ago, I asked her about her first memory. She answered without a second of hesitation. Her response blew me away.
She went into great detail telling me about a time that took place a week after we brought her home from China. It was Easter and the weather was beautiful. Folks from both sides of the family were at our house and we were all sitting out in the yard watching the three kids (all about 2 years apart in age) play. It was a perfect day. I remember it like it was yesterday. I remember the feeling. I even remember what we were wearing.
Josie remembered touching grass with her bare feet for the first time and how it freaked her out. She remembered the Build-a-Bear lambs my mom got all the kids for Easter. She remembered being happy. She remembered the feeling of that day. One of the things she remembered the most was the box the Build-a-Bear was in. It was a puzzle to her and she recalls vividly how she tried to figure out how to open it. This may be the beginning of her aspirations to be an engineer.
I remember ALL those things, too.
Tears ran down my cheeks as she described the day. I was transported back to that very time. I felt it so strongly. The joy she gave me with that memory was huge. However, I was also in shock and awe. She was only 15 months old and she described the day perfectly. I also never remember us talking about that day. It was all her memory. Just amazing.
The neighbor who announced Elvis’ death was named Bridget. She had a sister. In the family’s dining room, a giant mural of a Grecian scene was painted on the wall.
Josie has a beautiful first memory of her family. I got a tacky-ass mural that I’m pretty sure was exactly the same as one I saw at a Ho-Jo in downtown Atlanta after a Grateful Dead concert in college. The mind. It’s weird.
Angela Traver
What is this blog about? Well, it's a general blog, but it is also a very specific blog. If you get that reference, you get a gold star! I have been a public relations professional and writer of press releases for more than 20 years—primarily in the booze biz. I decided to do some writing for fun and embrace the humor that gets me through most days. Hopefully it will make you chuckle—or at least smile. I’m a certified crazy magnet, and more than a little nutty myself, so buckle up. Also, I have two vices—profanity and red wine/whiskey. You’ve been warned. It should also be noted, that I’m a HUGE Bob & Sheri fan. I’ve been a listener for more than 20 years. This opportunity is a dream come true and it may have made me cry. That being said, I cry at everything. If you are into booze, dogs, food and/or knitting, hit me up on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter (although I’m terrible at Twitter and it scares me) @kyspiritsgal. You can also find all my previous blog posts at www.kyspiritsgal.com.
