Random memory thread. Toss 'em up!

Ever get hit by a completely random memory? Toss it up. I'll start!

Random memory that popped up this evening:

When we moved into our first house, in 1989, my Dad and two younger brothers came over to help us pack, drive and unpack. My middle brother drove the rent-a-truck because he had experience driving large vehicles. Donna had a VW Cabriolet, at the time.

We had a thirty five mile drive through Houston traffic, with the Galleria Area of Houston dead in the middle. The worst traffic in a city known for bad traffic.

It was in this spot where Donna decided to get playful and sped past my brother and Dad, in the rent a truck. My brother is not the sort of man to let a speed challenge go unanswered, ever, and it was game on. He immediately put the rent a truck in hyperdrive and he, and Donna, were happily racing each other through Houston traffic.

Meanwhile, I'm increasingly far behind in my company car, staring helplessly as the woman I love, and my brother and Dad, and the rent a truck laden with every last thing I owned in this world at that point in time ... go careening madly through traffic. And I _know_, with no doubt in my mind whatsoever, my Dad was cheering my brother on!

I'm staring at the whole thing, thinking, "You guys? Is this the time for this? Seriously? THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR THIS!!!!!" This was 1989, and we did not have cell phones, at that point. All I could do was watch.

And yet, somehow, we arrived at our new house, everyone and everything intact. Don't ask me how!

I reflect a lot. Today I sat staring at pictures of my girls. One graduates in a week, and the other turns 16. I could write books on the memories those photos brought back.

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Revvv said:

I reflect a lot. Today I sat staring at pictures of my girls. One graduates in a week, and the other turns 16. I could write books on the memories those photos brought back.

Sent from my [mind] using the svtperformance.com mobile app

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I almost never reflect. When I do, it leads to me being up all night long, wondering what might have been. Then I'm crabby all day long. Guess what? My coworkers are going to have a rough day, tomorrow.

James Snover said:

I almost never reflect. When I do, it leads to me being up all night long, wondering what might have been. Then I'm crabby all day long. Guess what? My coworkers are going to have a rough day, tomorrow.

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I focus on the positives. I try not to compare what could be, to what could have been, and so on. We live and learn. Everyone fails
Everyone falls. The recovery and choices after are what makes the difference.

I know I cannot go back in time, and if I could, so would others. My success would be overshadowed by my perceived success of others. I run my own race, and do all I can to help others along the way.

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89...I was three years old...riding a bicycle with my best friend next door (still hang out with him!). I wish I could go back to the 90s and stay there forever !

Yep, the 90s (eh, maybe mid to late 80s for me). The days when all we wanted to do ALL DAY--literally--was build bicycle jumps and forts outside. You couldnt get us to play inside even if you paid us.

Didnt know how good we had it.

Revvv said:

I reflect a lot. Today I sat staring at pictures of my girls. One graduates in a week, and the other turns 16. I could write books on the memories those photos brought back.

Sent from my [mind] using the svtperformance.com mobile app

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I can relate! In our hallways downstairs we have lots of family photos (collages) of my son/daughter and their kids. My daughter's 3 girls are all grown now (20, 22 and 26). My son's kids are younger. So many memories. Like you, Rev, I'll sometimes stop, stare, and drift back in time.

These two little guys are both 6' 3" and just graduated college.

I miss them being small, and think about it often.

The day I landed In the states from the Stan in 2011 and Grandparents and Mother met me at the terminal at McGuire. He passed in 2016 while I was in Korea.




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4 years ago to the day I finished up a trip with my mom to Florida for my birthday and mothers day. This is after losing my grandmother in late Feb and having a hard time. Neither of us ever vactions...
Little did I know that birthday and mothers day would be the last one I got to share with my mom (and last parent). She died a year and a day after her mom.
So thankful I had that trip.

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L8APEX said:

4 years ago to the day I finished up a trip with my mom to Florida for my birthday and mothers day. This is after losing my grandmother in late Feb and having a hard time. Neither of us ever vactions...
Little did I know that birthday and mothers day would be the last one I got to share with my mom (and last parent). She died a year and a day after her mom.
So thankful I had that trip.View attachment 1573905

Sent from my Note9

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sorry to hear that brother. God knows...she's in a better place. Memories like THAT are what we live for.

I have a sponge brain for memory retention.

Not claiming to out remember anyone, but I’ve known dozens of people who claim to be amazed by the random stories I recall.

The human brain is awe-inspiring, the real issue is recollection.

I remember a dream I had in 5th grade.
I remember walking to the bus my first day of kindergarten.
I remember taking hot wheels cars on the school bus and having races on the seats when the bus made a left or right turn (depending on out seat)

I remember one random bus ride home in kindergarten when our driver asked if I was riding that day. I Didnt stick my head out high enough and she missed me and had to reroute.

The day I learned to ride on 2 wheels on my bike I wanted to be riding when the school bus passed (because everyone would be looking in my mind) but i crashed into the 3rd post from the front sidewalk. The bus passed as I was laying on the ground.

Sights. Sounds. Smells. Memories.

Shits not going anywhere

I spend more time in the past than I do in the present or future. It's my worst habit by far. My problem is that most memories are in ridiculous vivid detail, and it's either a really good thing, or a really bad thing.

There are good memories that hit me all at once. For instance, if I'm outside grilling and it's around 60 degrees out, I can sit back and imagine family cookouts when I was little. The early 90's had a neat feel- cells phones and the internet weren't prevalent enough to interfere with life yet, so we didn't have those things distracting us from what was really going on. 98.9FM was still WXXW "The Bus" in the southern Worcester area, and they played 50s/60s oldies (it's a country station now, very sad to find that out last year). If it was a nice summer night, I'd be outside while my father was grilling, my mother would be setting up the patio furniture. New England summer nights were always chilly, so we had the windows open most of the time. July 4th was spent in the antique district of Putnam CT- a big classic car show, street vendors, fireworks, it was awesome. At night, all you heard was light wind through the trees, spring-peeper frogs, and katydids. The night sky was much more vivid. Those were good memories.

The bad memories? Those are the ones I get stuck on. I typed out a long list on here, read it a few times, and deleted it. It's not worth bringing up. I prefer the good memories.