Excellent A trip down sensory memory lane Earliest Memory? It all depends. by RaymondJohn

Category:  Biographical Non-Fiction   Posted:  September 16, 2008      Views: 816

RAYMONDJOHN  IN PRINT   ABOUT RAYMONDJOHN  Raymond John is a hopeless FanStory addict who has at times spent as many as twelve hours in a single day reading, reviewing and writing for the site. His three purposes are based on three "Es" which are Explain, Enlighten and Entertain. His greatest fear is to take himself too seriously. He may not always smile, but he always has a twinkle in his eye. Knock his socks off with a fantastic write and he'll be your best cheerleader and give you a banner award, to boot. He has written two novels and numerous short works. His first book, The Cellini Masterpiece, has sold nearly 3,000 copies and received an Honorable Mention in the 2006 IPPY awards. It is now available in a Kindle edition from Amazon.com. An audio version (ISBN 9780615268125) is now available read by the renown actor, James Cada. MP3 edition, downloadable for IPOD, is 14.95. Order at www.raymondjohnbooks.com. His second mystery, Mix and Match Murder, which was originally scheduled for release in September of 2008 is now in print and available from Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and North Star Press. A scholar born in the golden age of radio, Raymond always appreciates hearing a well-told story, especially one with action and believable dialogue in a historical setting. I have written and received many reviews. I have a thick skin, so if constructive criticism is forthcoming, bring it on. He has won several contests. The contest submission Mousie, Kittie and Booger was the first place winner in the contest Tales of the Weird.. Gold In Them Thar Words was the first place winner in the contest Tales of the Weird.. Lot 386 was the first place winner in the contest Tales of the Weird.. He is a top ranked author and is currently holding the #22 position. Portfolio | Become A Fan Time for a nice waffle. I have several earliest memories. It all depends on which of the senses you mean, or the first cognitive event in my life. They are all different. The very earliest memory I have is related to the sense of smell. Our cabin had a musty smell. You know, the one you get when you open a closet that has been unused for a long time. Only this smell was a bit different. It had a slight fishy tinge to it. I'm sure it's because we lived so close to a lake. It was always strongest the first time we visited in the spring. My mother kept the windows open as much as possible, but it never went away. The cabin was one of the greatest pleasures in my life, and I would give anything to be back there again. I have no visual or other sensory data associated with the memory, I just remember it well. Imagine you're trapped in a dungeon without any sights or sounds, just a faint odor. That was me, barely a tadpole in my life span. The reptilian is the oldest part of our brain layers. Scientists say that smell is the oldest of the senses, and the source of our earliest memories. I am convinced this is the case. My earliest visual memory is a box of Tide sitting by our back door. I can still see it clearly, undoubtedly because of the bright orange color. Even though it was just a fleeting glimpse, my mother was carrying me to the play pen in the back yard while she hung up clothes, it triggered the sense. I suddenly became aware of many colors: The white of the sheets, the green grass, the reds and blues of the flowers. Even the brown of my Dad's thirty-seven Chevrolet. Scientists think that babies are essentially color-blind at birth and acquire color-awareness over time. As much as I would like to do so, I will never forget the taste of cod liver oil. I hated it, and my mother said she used to mix it into my food. I expect it's the main reason why I don't like green beans, and I swear I can still smell it on the baby spoon my mother so carefully saved for me. I take fish oil capsules, and have to hold my nose when I take one out of the bottle. They're hard to swallow, too. Why couldn't she have used raspberry, or watermelon instead? I love them. Wild salmon are said to be able to taste the water where they were born, even though it is less than one in a million parts, and follow it back to the source so they can spawn. My first sensation of touch is equally negative. It was the sense of heat I got when I scratched the inflamed part of my body that stretched from just below my belly button to the top of my legs. The whole area was hot and itched uncontrollably. At age seven months I contracted erysipelas, a rare staph blood disease. Penicillin hadn't yet been invented, and sulfa was ineffectual. Calvin Coolidge's son died from it. He got a blister playing tennis, and it became infected. I was a little more lucky. My folks rushed me to General Hospital, and I was admitted in poor condition. My mother told me I nearly died. I actually think I did. I remember seeing a bright light, and have never been particularly afraid of death. The effects of the disease stayed with me many years. I had skin rashes that intermittently popped up, and ulcerated toes that "weeped" constantly until I was an adolescent. Every person recognizes voices very early in their life. I knew all the important ones long before I remember them. They aren't associated with cognitive events. My earliest auditory experience is one I have been repeatedly told couldn't have happened. I distinctly remember sitting in my high chair. Mom and Dad and my aunt and uncle were working on a jigsaw puzzle and listening to the radio. Suddenly some dance music was interrupted. Pearl Harbor had been bombed. My uncle said, "We're going to war." I was only a year and a half old at the time, far too young to have a memory of it at all, let alone such a detailed one. At least that's what everyone tells me. I know differently. Recognized Share your own writing! - Information on our membership for writers. Author Notes I expect I will be accused of cheating for this, but it is a different perspective. Good luck to everyone in the contest. Pays one point and 2 member cents.

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