Vivid Memories

The memories we have inside will last forever. Never try to lose them or forget them. They all are a part of your soul.

Sitting in the kitchen sink when I was a baby

Being washed by my mother

Looking out the kitchen window.

   Memphis,Tennessee

Being held in my fathers arms at the beach

Seeing large fish in the water

Learning how to swim at three years old

    Jacksonville, Florida

In our backyard playing with my friend

Four years old and next to a tree stump

Dads misplaced hammer in my hand

My friend placing his hand on the stump

My hitting his thumb with the hammer.

    Jacksonville, Florida

My first day at kindergarten

Scared to be away from the safety of home

Being befriended by other kids

Losing my fear of it all

Nap time on the floor.

     Corpus Christi, Texas

Helping my dad build his boat

Six and seven years old

The neighbors Dachsund dog named 'Candy'

My dad writing a poem about me and that dog.

      Los Alamitos, California

Taking the boat out in the Pacific Ocean

Seeing large sea kelp in the water

Looking like a large sea creature

      San Diego, California

Going to visit grandmother

Drive to Huntington Beach, California

The sights along Pacific Coast Hiway

Seeing the real 'Purple People Eater'

     Oceanside, Califormia

Disneyland for the first time alone

With a book of ride tickets

Protecting my most valuable 'E' tickets

The many trips to San Diego Zoo

      Los Angeles and San Diego, California

Walking home from school 4th grade

Feeling safe walking alone for a mile

Getting home and the smell of lunch

       Imperial Beach, California

Dad getting transferred to Florida again

Mom and dad trading in their 58 Oldsmobile

Taking me to look at new cars with them

Mom asking me how I liked the Buick Riviera

"Too much glass mom"

      San Diego, California

The long drive to Florida

With our boat in tow behind the new car

We all fell asleep at the wheel at three in the morning

Our eleven day old Plymouth Belvedere totaled.

      Outside Wharton, Texas

First Christmas in our new home

Lots of tall pine trees

Going to the base with dad in the morning to swim in the base pool all day.

      Pensacola, Florida

Enlisting in the Navy with dad by my side

Feeling that it was the proudest day of my life

Going to boot camp

"What did you do on your summer vacation junior still in high school?"

"I went to Navy boot camp."

       Orlando, Florida

Meeting and having a drink with a hero

Sitting with Admiral Alan Shepard Jr.

Being dumb and not asking him about being an astronaut.

      NAS Pensacola, Florida

Typing this and thinking that I should stop here

Wondering if I should put more memories down

Or keep them all to myself

Knowing that the people I met and the celebrities that I've met

Would make a difference.

       New Mexico

Those are my memories from six months after I was born, 1954 until 1972

I cherish my memories. I cherish the memories of my mother and my father who have

Gone ahead of me. Mom in 2009 and my dad in 2014.

I am looking forward to beating my grandmothers age of 102 when she left us.

      I think positive......i'll go past 110.

Author's Note

Sorry this was a long list. I was trying to make it interesting and to make a point. Always cherish your memories, good or bad. They are part of who you are.

Reviews

[amanda b]

I love this list! It brings a lot of images to my mind. I havent read any descriptions about it but for a moment i thought you were doing like a horror story thing with the displaced hammer and hitting the friend's thumb. I was shocked, it had an impact! With that said, i also liked the naming of towns and the actual direction it took, it was warm and nice, like i can connect with that family net, with those experiences.