My Earliest Memory

I have been “tagged” by Val of the “Life and Vincent” blog to recount my earliest memory. If I choose to participate, I am to post:

- My earliest memory
- How old I was
- Pass it on

Well, I’m here, so I guess I have elected to participate. Actually, I have two memories from early-on and they both happened when I was “five-ish.” I cannot recall which came first, so I guess I’ll share both. Oh, and I suppose I should explain that I have never, ever shared the first reminiscence with anyone, so see just how "freeing" this blogging can be.

The first remembrance I have occurred at night in my parents’ bedroom. You see, we lived in a two bedroom house…that my daddy built…and my three brothers shared one bedroom, so I slept in my parents’ room. I had my own bed…just not my own room. I have to admit I have thought about this particular memory many times over the years…mainly because it was such a frightening nightmare…I wonder what could have precipitated such a terrifying dream in one so young.

Anyway, I can remember laying in bed on my back and looking up and there were all these bright lights in all different colors, flashing and dipping and darting all about, and there was this “ thing”... this...“being.” I don’t know what it was or how to describe it, but I can still see it in my mind's eye. It was very scary and it kept grabbing at me as it floated in the air above me at the foot of my bed.

I remember crying and screaming – hysterically – at the top of my lungs. My mom, of course, came to comfort me, but I would no sooner settle down and go back to sleep than it would start all over again. This went on most of the night and my poor daddy quickly tired of the whole drama. He didn’t spank me or anything, but…bless his heart…he worked the early shift and had to be at work by 6:00a.m. So a screaming, out of control child in the middle of the night sufficed to wreak havoc with his sleep time. (P.S. It wasn’t too long after this incident that Dad added another room onto the house, thus giving me my own bedroom.)

The other early memory I have is of my brother, Tom, taking me to school with him on his last day of 6th grade…as a sort of “show and tell” I suppose. They used to do this sort of thing “back in the day.” Basically, the principal invited the students to bring a younger sibling with them on the final day of the school year, so my mom let Tom take me. That was the first time I got to ride in the big yellow bus that carried my brothers off everyday, and I got to see where my classroom was going to be when I started first grade the following fall. I have a vague recollection of being momentarily separated from my bubby…a few tears…but we were happily reunited for the bus ride home.

So, there you have it…for what it’s worth…my earliest memories. As for “tagging” someone else…I don’t “know” any other fellow bloggers who haven’t already been nominated. I would tag my friend – StarChild – but I don’t think she’s started her blog yet. Perhaps this could serve as the perfect catalyst. What say you, StarChild?