Richard G
Veteran
Someone looking for Anne at our house. I asked who Anne was. Anne is your mother I was told. It seemed to me so superfluous and strange that she had a distinguishing name like that. The egoism of the child.
What is the first memory you have
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jpa66
Jan as in "Jan and Dean"
Great thread! My earliest memory is from 1969 (when I was roughly 3 years old). I was playing in the neighbor's yard. I was with my sister and the neighbor kids were all older than me. I have a series of snapshots in my mind of it, but nothing more. The memories are all pleasant.
NickTrop
Veteran
Interesting, these comments about people in their mid-50's remembering JFK. Seems that wholesale extreme emotions over something like that would resonate with a very young child. Even a young child might remember a feeling that something "bad" and out of the ordinary happened.
Mine is more random. I distinctly recall my mother being pregnant with my sister. I'm three years older than her. That would have been 1966.
Mine is more random. I distinctly recall my mother being pregnant with my sister. I'm three years older than her. That would have been 1966.
calebarchie
Established
When I was around 3 my mum invited the whole extended family over to the house for a random dinner party, there my parents stood me on a pedestal in front of everyone to announce that my baby brother was on his way...
Just something I remembered aside from watching star wars on VCR repeatedly.
Just something I remembered aside from watching star wars on VCR repeatedly.
FrozenInTime
Well-known
All through school I had two recurring memories I could never place:
One was driving through a dark medieval town with towering stone buildings on either side.
The other was of a large white room with many grand gallery levels circling the central hall.
It was not until I went to University did they make sense -
The medieval city was the Cowgate in Edinburgh and the hall was the Chambers street museum.
My parents must have taken me once at a early age.
I still think of Edinburgh as a special place.
One was driving through a dark medieval town with towering stone buildings on either side.
The other was of a large white room with many grand gallery levels circling the central hall.
It was not until I went to University did they make sense -
The medieval city was the Cowgate in Edinburgh and the hall was the Chambers street museum.
My parents must have taken me once at a early age.
I still think of Edinburgh as a special place.
nikonosguy
Well-known
kinda of a side note....
the other day, I was sitting in the den with my 80 year old mother... I just turned 45... I was born in 1971.. She asked me what i remembered about the kennedy assassination -- She swore up and down that i was alive for that --- i reminded her that it was my older, late brother who was born in 62 and that i wasn't even a thought, and certainly hadn't been born nor adopted at that point..... she was convinced i was around for the jfk thing... memories change, we had a good laugh about it a few minutes after the discussion
the other day, I was sitting in the den with my 80 year old mother... I just turned 45... I was born in 1971.. She asked me what i remembered about the kennedy assassination -- She swore up and down that i was alive for that --- i reminded her that it was my older, late brother who was born in 62 and that i wasn't even a thought, and certainly hadn't been born nor adopted at that point..... she was convinced i was around for the jfk thing... memories change, we had a good laugh about it a few minutes after the discussion
grouchos_tash
Well-known
I remember for getting told off for jumping onto my mam's stomach when she was lying on the settee. She was pregnant with my sister at the time and I didn't understand what that meant. I would have been 3.
DC1030
DC1030
The moon landing. I was 4 years old and I was allowed to stay up longer because of something very important on TV.
rhl-oregon
Cameras Guitars Wonders
Some things go so far back in the dimly lit theater of the self it is hard to know whether they are early memories or recurrent dreams. One that is fundamental to me, though, is of lying on my back and looking up at a ceiling light fixture. I don't remember it as on or off, just up there. I can't reach it.
When as an adult I spoke to my mother about this image or memory, she told me my first word was "Light." Who knows how I pronounced the word--I must have pointed to it when she turned it on or off, carrying me into or out of the room. Mystery of adult power, mystery of electricity.
It made sense that this was an early memory when my son was a year old. We had a ceiling fan/light whose switch was on a chain, and he began to notice, when I was carrying him, how I switched it on/off. By age one, my picking him up so he could switch it on/off was a game we played, both of us making faces at each pull--light, dark, light, dark.
There are a even few photographs of this game from his first birthday party. Our faces are exactly the same comic mask.
A couple of books that may be may good for further musings on these things are Gaston Bachelard's "The Poetics of Space" (La Poetique de L'espace, on the intersections of memory and personal spaces) and Marc Auge's "Oblivion" ( on the interdependency of memory and forgetting, commemoration and public erasure, etc.).
When as an adult I spoke to my mother about this image or memory, she told me my first word was "Light." Who knows how I pronounced the word--I must have pointed to it when she turned it on or off, carrying me into or out of the room. Mystery of adult power, mystery of electricity.
It made sense that this was an early memory when my son was a year old. We had a ceiling fan/light whose switch was on a chain, and he began to notice, when I was carrying him, how I switched it on/off. By age one, my picking him up so he could switch it on/off was a game we played, both of us making faces at each pull--light, dark, light, dark.
There are a even few photographs of this game from his first birthday party. Our faces are exactly the same comic mask.
A couple of books that may be may good for further musings on these things are Gaston Bachelard's "The Poetics of Space" (La Poetique de L'espace, on the intersections of memory and personal spaces) and Marc Auge's "Oblivion" ( on the interdependency of memory and forgetting, commemoration and public erasure, etc.).
lukitas
second hand noob
On walk along a country road, my dad let me look through the viewfinder of his Mamiya TLR, when I found out the world was the wrong way round. Confusing.
Our neighbour, a farmer, had a tobacco tin. There was a rubber sheet attached to an axle inside the lid. He'd put a paper against the rubber, cram some tobacco next to the axle, and when he closed the lid, a cigarette popped out.
I don't know which memory comes first, both were before I turned 4.
Our neighbour, a farmer, had a tobacco tin. There was a rubber sheet attached to an axle inside the lid. He'd put a paper against the rubber, cram some tobacco next to the axle, and when he closed the lid, a cigarette popped out.
I don't know which memory comes first, both were before I turned 4.
daveleo
what?
Very vaguely (it was in the 1948 - 1950 time frame) I remember the ice man delivering a block of ice for our icebox. One day he delivered a puppy for me.
I was 3-5 years old.
I was 3-5 years old.
Luke_Miller
Established
My earliest was playing in the front yard of our home in Coronado, California and hearing loud noises. I asked my mother about it and she said the Japanese had surrendered. I found out later the noise was the whistles and sirens on the Navy ships moored in San Diego harbor.
Mlehrman
Mlehrman
I must have been about 2 1/2 years old, about 1954. Townsend Avenue, Bronx. My mother was holding me and we were looking out the window of our family's tiny apartment, at night. I remember her singing, but very softly, "the starts at night are big and bright...".
Ronald M
Veteran
My grandmother wringing the the neck of a white foul. Middle 1940`s in suburban Chicago. We had it for dinner.
Knocked over a Christmas tree while trying to retrieve a toy train. Dad was in New Zealand, so 1944. Mom had a fit.
Playing in other grandfather`s car and pushed the starter button. Car moved. 1944. Never did that again.
My father taking me for a sled ride during the war. Sled was all wood with back rest. No steel runners, war time.
Making toast in the oven because we had no toaster.
Examining the door push button on grandfathers Lincoln. There was no handle.
I have been told grandfather pushed me down the street in a stroller and I could name every car make by the hub caps.
Grandfather brought me smoked fish from Chicago, chubs maybe. I still love it to this day.
Last year I received some smoked salmon fresh from Alaska. Thought I died and went to heaven. I do make smoked catfish which is almost as good.
And then suddenly thinking why am I so cold, then got a slap on the behind. What`s that for.
Knocked over a Christmas tree while trying to retrieve a toy train. Dad was in New Zealand, so 1944. Mom had a fit.
Playing in other grandfather`s car and pushed the starter button. Car moved. 1944. Never did that again.
My father taking me for a sled ride during the war. Sled was all wood with back rest. No steel runners, war time.
Making toast in the oven because we had no toaster.
Examining the door push button on grandfathers Lincoln. There was no handle.
I have been told grandfather pushed me down the street in a stroller and I could name every car make by the hub caps.
Grandfather brought me smoked fish from Chicago, chubs maybe. I still love it to this day.
Last year I received some smoked salmon fresh from Alaska. Thought I died and went to heaven. I do make smoked catfish which is almost as good.
And then suddenly thinking why am I so cold, then got a slap on the behind. What`s that for.
Vics
Veteran
Fort Worth, Texas. Probably 1948, going across the street (Forest Park Blvd.) with my older brother to play on the school grounds. My brother got in big trouble for that. I must have been three.
nikonosguy
Well-known
My first memory is dad parting the red sea while we were being chased....
David Hughes
David Hughes
Hi,
Fascinating how things come back reading other peoples' memories. I now realise that the V1 and v2 attacks I remember were when we were in Surrey (called South London these days) and my family were in Wales prior to that and I remember it. So earlier still and little narrow gauge trains, probably around the Vale of Neath and 1943 or 44.
Regards, David
Fascinating how things come back reading other peoples' memories. I now realise that the V1 and v2 attacks I remember were when we were in Surrey (called South London these days) and my family were in Wales prior to that and I remember it. So earlier still and little narrow gauge trains, probably around the Vale of Neath and 1943 or 44.
Regards, David
p.giannakis
Pan Giannakis
I remember myself wearing a thick coat and playing in the street outside my house. I remember being that small that i was struggling to climb the curb. My mother was sitting on the stairs outside our house door and she was wearing a stripy brown dress. Opposite our house was a small convenient store - according to my parents this closed down when I was about 4 y.o.
I remember how cloudy that day was and how the street was empty of cars - difficult to imagine it now, the street is so busy nowadays...
I remember how cloudy that day was and how the street was empty of cars - difficult to imagine it now, the street is so busy nowadays...
MikeMGB
Well-known
My earliest memory is from when I was 18 months old, I clearly remember sitting in my high chair being fed, why that moment stuck with me I have no idea, but I have confirmed it as an actual memory by describing the room to my parents. I have several other memories of me playing outside when I was two and three, I clearly remember my father wheeling my new red pedal car into the living room on my third Christmas. I also remember being introduced to my new brother, I was 27 months old at the time.
Now of course I can't remember squat, don't even ask me what I did last weekend!
Now of course I can't remember squat, don't even ask me what I did last weekend!
Dogman
Veteran
I grew up in the country, far back into the woods actually. I can recall the electric company installing the poles for the electric lines to both our house and my grandparents home nearby. But I have no idea what year this took place. Perhaps an even earlier memory was of me playing on the bed in my parents bedroom. Just a flash, nothing specific.
