Your oldest memory

[SteelCurtain]

Lol mine was when I was 2-3, at my babysitter Dawn's house, she was changing an infant. I was asking her why his peepee was like "inside itself." She would clearly have been trying to stifle a laugh, but I didn't notice or pick up on it. She would later tell my parents who got a good laugh about it. I randomly brought it up in a conversation about earliest memories and my parents independently verified it.

[Fireball]

About 1-1/2 years old. I was with my mother's mother and my eldest sister, watching my grandmother water plants. There was a mirror leaning against the wall, which I didn't realize, because I have extreme nearsightedness. I walked up to it, and thought that it was hole in the floor. I reeled back, afraid that I would fall into the basement. When I told my mother this (many years later, when this very topic was being discussed), she told me that I had to have been that age. I didn't know how old I was, at the time. Strange, when you think about it. I even knew there was a basement, and the word was in my thought train. I still have an extreme fear of heights.

[Regina]

I can't pinpoint a precise first memory. However, I do have quite vivid memories of my life age 2-5. For some reason I can recall a lot of things, even quite trivial stuff, from around that time. It's to the point where it actually shocks my Mom when I recall it, she can't believe some of the things I remember so vividly.

Up until I was 5 we lived in an old Victorian terraced house, which I can still picture in my head so vividly even down to the furniture arrangements, wallpaper and layout etc.

More specifically;
- I remember a conversation with my Dad, while we were looking out of my bedroom window, about what "the lights" (planes) were in the sky were.
- I used to hate that bedroom. I'd never sleep in there, I'd always go jump into bed with my parents (probably to their extreme annoyance). I think it's because there was a long as hell corridor to my bedroom from theirs, it felt really isolated. The house was dark and kinda spooky too, typical Victorian terrace.
- Before my Grandfather died, we used to spend so much time round at my Grandparents' house. Lots of family gatherings with the aunts and cousins.
- We had music on all the time, and because my Mom was quite young when she had me, it was all the current stuff. A lot of my early memories revolve around music as a result, I remember (and love) so much of the 90s pop music that was coming out around that time even now.
- I had a weird obsession with nature, especially trees.
- We lived in a neighbourhood that had quite a strong community spirit, and there was lots to do nearby with shops and a park around the corner. Lots of memories of venturing out with my Mom and Dad (usually not together for some reason, but eh)

It was a very happy time overall, everything seemed so perfect and peaceful.

Well, until my grandfather died, and then I think a part of my childhood died with him. I had to be exposed to death and learn about it at such a young age. It kind of destroyed a part of my innocence, and played on my mind a lot. Wouldn't surprise me if that was a deep root cause of my cynicism and depression tbh.

[The Industrial Atheist]

I remember at 5, eating microwave fried bologna in the low income apartments we lived in. Blechh. But I think I was mostly happy.

I remember, maybe earlier than that I had a huge panda stuffed animal. I loved that beast.

[vorlon13]

I'm amazed I don't remember much about the awful heat and humidity I would have had to sleep with as a kid. Jesus, some nights I step outdoors and 11PM it's still 90F and 90% humidity.

It's simply awful.

What I do remember is having to go to bed when it was still daylight to get up for school the next day. That was freaking miserable.

I don't know if we were above or below average income wise back then. We lived frugally because dad was buying farm land and then as now, it was a risky thing to do. Almost lost everything when severe medical problems hit with no health insurance in the latter 60s. As I recall, a $30,000 hospital bill was a staggering problem in those days. One ray of light in that disaster was a bill for only $100 from the main doctor at the hospital. My recollection of how that happened doesn't jibe with older sis's so Idunno.

Our cars were 4 door chevy's. I recall an Impala and a Bel Air. Dad's first pickup was cheap and some of his family thought it was a stupid thing to buy. Dad reminded them of that every time they asked to borrow it.

One fad we succumbed to was in the early 70s when vinyl tops came into vogue, we had to go to Omaha and waste an entire afternoon having the damn thing put on. As I recall it was $70 and a rare frill for our operation. The damn top had bubbles too, and we had to go back several times to have it fixed.

When I was a senior I was allowed to buy a car ($2000!) and boy was that a great thing. 2 cars worked really well. I loved running errands and I was put to work as a gopher. When I was in college Dad (!!) heard the local car dealer had a near new trade in of a car he thought was better than the one I had picked.

LOL, Dad wasn't up on cars too well; the car he referred me to was a Camaro. It had AC and a 350 V8. The dealer allowed what I had paid for my first car as a trade in (it was in good shape) and I LOVED the Camaro. I was 'out' at college, and having a Camaro was a good thing. Wish I still had it . . . . .

[Thumpalumpacus]

Before I was three. I caused an argument between my father and my mom, when I woke one of them up by tipping an ashtray full of his guitar picks over. He was happy I liked the picks, she was upset. It seemed to escalate quickly, but the memory is blurry.

Seems I've caused arguments all my life.

[The Valkyrie]

Ordering the building of a subterranean tomb in the desert south of Thebes.

Oh, not that early?

[The Grand Nudger]

Going up a mountain in West Virginia with a bucket of butterscotch to gig frogs with my grandfather.  We had family up there, drank unpasteirized milk..tasted like hot shit.  Frogs were good though, and everybody loves butterscotch.

[vorlon13]

Ordering the building of a subterranean tomb in the desert south of Thebes.

Oh, not that early?

I remember saying something about "letting there be light" or some such.  Shit, that was way way back . . . .

[The Valkyrie]

Ordering the building of a subterranean tomb in the desert south of Thebes.

Oh, not that early?

I remember saying something about "letting there be light" or some such.  Shit, that was way way back . . . .

Wasn't that after that party in the 70s?