Aren't random memories weird? I've been contemplating this for the last couple of weeks. When I was in high school I started keeping a journal of all of the random childhood memories that were triggered day to day. I let the journal fall to the way-side because I always assumed that these memories would be easy to recall - my mind was sharp in my first 20 years of life, and I took my amazing collection of memories for granted. When looking at miscellaneous photos taken on family road trips across America, I was always able to recall the name of every small town, every pokey little diner, every hotel and motel. I kept travel journals, and would sometimes let them go for weeks without writing in them because I knew I wouldn't forget a single day's activities and I could go back and fill it all in later. I think I'm a little more dazed as an adult than I was as a child! I just wonder why I can still remember in great detail the picnic trip we took where my sister Steph, still developing her fine motor skills at the time, took a great swig out of the family's only bottle of water and released a massive backwash of bread crumbs and ham back into the bottle, and yet I can't remember visiting the twin towers in New York. Why can I remember a lady in a lift remarking to my parents how glad she is that 80s clothing isn't back in fashion (har har), and yet I really struggle to recall many of my childhood birthday parties? The things that leave impressions on us do not make sense, people!
I'm thinking I might start keeping that journal again... it's a pretty fascinating read!
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