Fascinating that a scent a song, or location can trigger even the most deeply buried memories. Pinewood smell can bring you back to your grandmothers, a song throws you back to high school. A visit to a childhood home triggers a stream of memories playing in front of you like a movie on replay. I have even heard stories of memories being triggered from a once forgotten childhood trauma all from the lighting and situation being just right.
My earliest memory is like this, crystal clear, and often triggered by a certain clothing combination. faded blue jeans and a crew cut undershirt. That's all it takes and I am transported back in time. Much of of it has a sense of surrealism, for a time I wasn't even fully convinced it was even a real memory.
I was around 5 years old, mom was pregnant and I was being a brat. I mean all out dirty tantrum, and in the process I managed to kick her in the abdomen. Dad saw red. The image burned into my memory is dad standing down the hall in his shirt and jeans, his stance reminiscent of someone holding a gun.
Oddly enough there are no memories of fear accompanying this memory. Maybe I was too young to truly understand the image I see with this memory, or even an innate understanding that dad despite his demons at that time, was not going to hurt me.
I cannot confirm the presence of a gun, but both mom and dad can confirm the tantrum the kick and dad's immediate reaction. But it is my earliest memory, and the images play like a movie when they do. Almost removing me from the situation, which some would probably argue as the defense mechanism of this "trauma." For me it's simply one of the memories imprinted on my mind.
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