Elliot passed his driver’s license test yesterday.
So many milestones for him this year – driver’s license…going to college…
Looking back, I do not now consider those as significant events in my life. At the time they probably were, but I don’t remember details at all. Did I fail a couple of times before passing the driver’s test? Was I excited when I received my college acceptance letter?
I do have details of memories of seemingly insignificant events. When I first came to the U.S., a boy named Stephen was assigned to help me get around school. We walked home together and he would point things out to teach me English. He pointed to “ivy”, and I couldn’t remember that word for the longest time. I kept saying “leaves”. They do look like leaves, don’t they?
I remember being mean to a new girl name Jeanne in junior high school. It was PE period and she asked me what time it was because I was wearing a watch. I didn’t answer her until she asked me like 3 times.
I remember taking a swimming class at Pasadena City College. That was when I learned to swim. The teacher was very nice, and I befriended a girl named Becky. The teacher taught us to blow out air through our noses, just like blowing your nose into a tissue. It was a light bulb moment because I didn’t know how to coordinate my breathing until then.
Why do we remember some things and not others? What will my children remember about their childhood? All these things I do for them, is it the little things that actually made an impression? Will they remember the careless word or the loving encouragement I said? Will they remember more about what happened at school or what happened at home?
What do you remember?