If you are a friend or family member, I probably remember your birthday. I remember birthdays of friends from my childhood, even though we haven’t had contact in years. I remember the names of hundreds of children I taught in school. My head is full of trivia that I won’t likely ever need to know. I give myself credit for the ability to remember the past, however, everything that happened to me before age 5 is either missing or fuzzy.
When I think back on my early childhood, I can only recall bits and pieces. I remember dropping a glass baby bottle filled with milk on a concrete step and seeing it shatter. I must have been far too old to still be bottle-fed, because after that my parents told me my bottle was gone. Why was my baby bottle made of glass, anyway? Was I born before plastics were invented? I remember being in bed at night and listening to Daddy tell stories of his childhood. I remember my Mamaw Rowe sending me a book when I was a preschooler. These few incidents are pretty much the sum total of five years of memories. I’ve strained to remember more.
I don’t feel quite so alone in my inability to remember the far past after reading a quote from a favorite writer. He said, “I know I was writing stories when I was five. I don’t remember what I did before that. Just loafed, I suppose. –P.G. Wodehouse 1881 – 1975.
These two photos are from that time of my life. I wish I could remember more about that little girl. Like P.D. Wodehouse, she must have done a lot of loafing. I’m curious how far back others can remember. What are your earliest memories?
Anita, about age 5
Anita, about age 6 months
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©Anita Stafford 2021
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