memories

Have you ever noticed some memories are so easy to remember and other memories just fade off in the distance? Do you remember any very vivid memories from when you were a small child or perhaps a memory from later years that you can't seem to shake from your memory?

I can recall being a young child, maybe 3 or 4 years old, and heading down the steep stairs of our orange house. My mom always took her shower downstairs and she would carry my bowl of cereal down for me to eat while she was showering. Except that day, my mom fell down the stairs and landed at the bottom in a curled up fetal position. I still remember her whimpering and remember the look on her face.

Did you know that it is impossible to actually remember anything before the age of 3? Chances are if you swear you remember something from those early years it is really the stories or pictures you have been exposed to.

I also remember being around 3 years old and having my appendix rupture. I don't remember the pain, but I do remember running around the house. I ran from my room, to the front door, to my mom and dad's bed, and what seems like circles. Everything else I remember from that horrific experience is what my parents or grandparents told me and the few pictures I have seen. I can also remember because of the 5 inch scar on my abdomen.

But why is it the memories we don't want to remember are the ones that are the clearest? That may sound strange, but for me it's true. There are many days when I can be eerily reminded of something scary or something that spooked me many years ago. I find myself looking around corners or in places where I imagine someone could be hiding or watching me just to find nobody is there.

Memories can be created anywhere at anytime. They can create different emotions. Some memories are even brought to the surface when you are back in that same place again. I just find memories something I think often about, whether it's something I come across and go back in time, or it's a new memory.

Do you have any memories from a long time ago that are clear to you?