Memories...What are your earliest memories?

Memories...What are your earliest memories?

I was having a conversation with my son the other day when looking at some old photos. There were some of a trip we took to Disneyland when he was around 5.5yrs old. I ask if he remembered this, pointing to the photo. He said he didn't remember it at all, in fact he hardly remembers anything from when he was young. I thought this was strange because I remember lots of things from when I was very young, and everything in between. He says he doesn't.

I ask him what was the oldest memory he has, and he couldn't think of anything...strange I thought. Although he does remember things from several years back; even things that happened a decade or more ago with respect to getting and having pets etc.

So, before I bore you with some of my earliest memories. I ask you, what are your true earliest memories? What do you recall? Surely you can go back through your school years, or at least I thought my son could. But I guess not everyone can for some reason.


For me, my earliest memory is from climbing up onto a window seat to lay down and bask in the warm Sun light. When I spoke to my mother about this; she was shocked because I was less than a year old when this happened. We only lived in that house with a window seat for about six months, and moved before I was a year old. I still remember it clearly. The window seat was painted white, and had a white curtain. That I now know was cotton or linen. I remember struggling to pull myself up onto the window seat. But once I got there I was in bliss laying in the warmth of the Sun and napping.

I remember a fight my parents had when I was two. Because my stick pony got broken. I also, remember the argument, but not what it was about, but that either Mom or Dad (I think it was Dad) had taken one of the knobs of the stove and thrown it across the room. My brother and I were at the table. It was white. Our apartment was small, with yellowish/white (okra?) walls. The appliances were white, and I was facing the kitchen area.

Also at about 2.4yrs old, I remember going to Yellowstone. Sitting on the half-log benches waiting for old faithful to blow. I remember how the area there was I think gravely? IDK, have never been back, but would like to some day. We had a bear come through our camp-site! The trails across the bubbling mud pools scared the crap out of me. Mainly because I was small, the railing was high for me to reach, and you were walking on a narrow wood path over them. I'm sure that's why I remember them so well.

My Dad died in a car accident just before my third B-day, and I kind of have a memory hole for about six months here.

But then that fall we had an earthquake. I remember laying on the floor during the earthquake and just rolling around for what seemed to me like minutes, but wasn't really that long. But to a little kid it was an eternity. Not long after came the Big Columbus day storm that hit.

I remember the storm very very well. I was with my brother and Mom at Albertson's. We were toward the back of the store when the lights started to flicker, then went out with a HUGE CRASHING noise. Those giant glass windows at the front of the store blew out from the strong wind gusts. The store clerks were running around getting all of the customers to safety, and out of the store. When we went home, we were stuck in our car for hours and hours because the power lines had come down. They were still live, and the ground was wet (rain coming in buckets, and windy). Our Mom wouldn't let us out until the power lines were taken care of, so we would get electrocuted. The next day, ALL of the old big trees that had lined the street were knocked down in the street. All the kids had a field day climbing around on them until they were cleaned up. Anyway, that all happened when I was only just over 3yrs old.

What are your earliest memories? And be honest, don't make crap up. What do you really remember.

I still find it weird that my son has such a bad memory. I've always had a really good one. Maybe he got it from his mother...IDK??? My daughter looks a little more like me, and has a good memory. Just a genetic roll of the dice I guess.

ff

a reply to: fastfred

That's a beautiful post. I'm sorry you lost your dad so young.

you were so young when those big events happened. Do you think those memories influence you today?

My earliest memory was when I was 3, picking my neighbors daffodils. I still remember how yellow and bright they were and my mom bring me to her yard to apologize. I can remember things starting around 3.

My brother remembers very little about growing up. Good question why that is.

first day of school. 5 yrs old. pee'd my pants.

great memory.

I have quite a few memories or a house we lived in when I was young. I discussed them with my mother when I was 18, and she was stunned; we moved out of that place when I was 16 months old.

I remember my second birthday. I described the event to my mother and she confirmed that it was my second birthday.

a reply to: fastfred

I remember my highchair & a flintstones bowl

I was wondering if the computer age, and all this instant gratification via feedback from games/pcs/phones/apps/etc is affecting the younger generations memories that grew up on this stuff. My son is a constant gamer for years and years. He's very good and plays/trains with some international teams. But it seems his long term memory sucks. My daughter, on the other hand does some gaming etc, but not much, and some Facebook. But mostly she is a big reader, and likes to read physical (real, not virtual online) books. Her memory long and short term memory is good.


Anyone else have any data to add to this possible hypothesis? (It's probably a stretch, but just wondering if there's a connection).

ff

a reply to: fastfred
I remember just after I was born but that was with the help of a something we can't mention here in terms of personal use.

Other than that, I remember being about two (because my brother was born then) and getting fitted for glasses then subsequently breaking them falling stone down stairs between street levels. We lived in Edinburgh at the time and when I had eye surgery at the university, there was a kindly old man in hospital who told me to call him grandpa. My mother then chastised me for calling a random man "grandpa" and mocked me for not knowing the difference. I did know who my own grandpa was but guess I didn't have the words to express this at the time. My mom still doesn't believe I remember so much from early on including parts of Scotland we lived in, including the houses we lived in.

I don't have a great memory but some details just got stuck if they were significant enough. My kids don't remember much either but I have thought that maybe it's because they lived in three houses on the same property their entire childhoods while my parents moved yearly and when we emigrated, we still moved every six months to a year in the same town for a long time til they settled.

Great subject and I totally believe we have memories from early on but are challenged at the time to mull them over in our minds with words so that the memories develop longevity. Lying in a sunbeam is a perfect example as it's a pure physical sensation, same with parents fighting as it evokes an emotion. My parents fought a lot too in the background so I actually remember better the rare happy times when they were full of joy and laughing.

a reply to: igloo

Yeah, I believe most of my early memories stood out because of the drama involved. They were mostly traumatic events. But not all of them. Some were just happy memories too; like the earliest one where I crawled up on the the window seat to lay in the Sun. I can still remember how good the Sun light felt. How nice and warm it was.

But the funny thing is, if I had never seen a picture of my Dad, I'm not sure I would ever know what he looks like...at least his face that is. Since he passed away before my 3rd B-day. But I do remember some things about him.

...You know I was just thinking about what were my happiest most peaceful times of my life, and there were three that immediately came to mind. They all had one thing in common. I was laying down basking in the Sun. The first. I've already told you about. The second time was when I was around 4 or 5 (before first grade) during the Summer. I was laying on the lawn with my eyes closed listening to the small planes fly around. That's one way I always knew it was a nice day because all the private planes would be out flying around. The third time was truly my most at peace time of my adult life. I had just relocated to California. I was waiting for my apartment to become available, and wasn't looking for work yet because I just got there. So with nothing to do or worry about for a couple of days I went to the beach. Best day ever...next day not so much...bad sun burn.


Anyway, it just got me thinking...I guess I like to lay around in the Sun.
[FYI, happiest moments didn't count things like relationship stuff/marriage or having kids etc]

But when at the beach not having anything to worry about, no school, job or bills was truly something for a day two.

ff

I am similar to your son. I have no clue wtf was going on until I was nine or ten. Then couldn’t tell you which day of the week it was until I left the military in my late twenties.

My first shadow of a memory is being under the mess room table at a SGT’s mess function my father was hosting. Lots of legs and noise.

a reply to: fastfred

a reply to: fastfred

From about five years old. Lots of gaps from that point until around nine years old.

Cheers

My very earliest memory is falling downstairs as a baby. My father told our class at a later date that I protected myself by rolling into a ball. I don't remember the rolling. All I've got is a snapshot image of my mother at the top of the stairs and my father in the lower corridor next to the stairs. No associated sounds or thoughts. As far as memory is concerned, I could have been floating down backwards, but I suppose the explanation is that memory collection only lasted for an instant.

The last time a similar question was asked, I talked about my second earliest memory, which was a much longer episode. Wakng up in the morning, wanting to escape my cot, and consciously deciding to cry in order to attract the attention of somebody who would let me out. (Augustine was right)

My earliest memory is from when I was 2,5 years old. The day my brother was born and me and my grandparents went to see him in the hospital. It was back in the late 70ties, I remember waiting in front of an orange door that led to a small room with a glass wall. The room was darkened, all the newborns were behind the glass in their little beds. I remember the exact moment when the nurse pointed out my new brother.

Around the same time I started kindergarten, I remember everything from my first day in school... the teacher, (Mrs Agnes) the classroom, every detail. I also remember every teacher I ever had, every classroom I ever sat in...

My own daughter doesn't remember a thing before the age of 6.

a reply to: fastfred

Remember riding in a car on a paved road and ending up at a log cabin. When I mentioned this to my oldest sister she was shocked and said (quote):

"You just described mom and dad's beach house and the road there! They sold it before you were born!!"

originally posted by: Komodo
a reply to: fastfred

Remember riding in a car on a paved road and ending up at a log cabin. When I mentioned this to my oldest sister she was shocked and said (quote):

"You just described mom and dad's beach house and the road there! They sold it before you were born!!"

That is kinda special!
I would go and check out the cabin!

originally posted by: KindraLabelle2

originally posted by: Komodo
a reply to: fastfred

Remember riding in a car on a paved road and ending up at a log cabin. When I mentioned this to my oldest sister she was shocked and said (quote):

"You just described mom and dad's beach house and the road there! They sold it before you were born!!"

That is kinda special!
I would go and check out the cabin!

Riiight! ☺️ Well, I have no idea where it actually is, other than the coast. 😊

a reply to: Komodo

Very interesting..... Since it was before you were born; I'm wondering was your mother pregnant with you at the time they had this property, or may have visited it? Or was it totally disconnected in time from you on "this plane of existence" (that is being alive as the person you are now...if you believe in re-incarnation or anything like that.)

Another thing that came to mind is the location of the cabin. Could it be near a running water source? Near one of the ley (sp?) lines? That may have boosted your perception/psi in some way...just a thought.

ff
[...not sure if I made sense. Kind of tired. Going to bed.]

originally posted by: fastfred
a reply to: Komodo

Very interesting..... Since it was before you were born; I'm wondering was your mother pregnant with you at the time they had this property, or may have visited it? Or was it totally disconnected in time from you on "this plane of existence" (that is being alive as the person you are now...if you believe in re-incarnation or anything like that.)

Another thing that came to mind is the location of the cabin. Could it be near a running water source? Near one of the ley (sp?) lines? That may have boosted your perception/psi in some way...just a thought.

ff
[...not sure if I made sense. Kind of tired. Going to bed.]

They still had it when mom was pregnant with me.

a reply to: igloo
That's an interesting story. It's been a year or so since I first posted this. I came back to re-read these, and see what had been added since last I visited. Anyway, I find your details interesting, as they correlate with my own. I moved around a lot as a child after my fathers passing. But with my children, they were very stable in terms of where they lived.

So maybe there is something to that. As a child, we moved a lot. So I was subjected to lots of new stimuli. But my children, who did not move. Had less new stimuli(?). Hypothesis being that more stimulus leads to more memory creation and retention.

Which I think the hypothesis is true. But in our case doesn't necessarily explain everything. My daughter has more memories than my son. Or maybe it's just that my son didn't do anything much, or memorable...

But he doesn't even remember his BIG trip to Disney Land for a whole week. He had a blast. We have tons of pictures to prove it. But he doesn't remember it. ??? What can I say, I think there's something wrong with him. But he's smart.