# What Is Your Earliset Memory?



## SifuPhil

What is your earliest memory? 

It could be a snatch of hearing people talking, or a memory of a vision of the family dog ... the smell of Mom's perfume ...

Some people claim that they can remember back almost to the time of their own birth. I on the other hand can only go back to being maybe 4-5 years old, playing on the living-room floor with my plastic toy soldiers. I also remember being in a kiddie pool, but that memory is a bit hazy - luckily I still have a photo ...



So what is your earliest memory?


----------



## That Guy

I remember pushing my tricycle around the yard because I couldn't ride it and, then, the first time I actually rode it around the block.  That was pretty exciting; going off into uncharted territory.

OH!  I remember my dad kissing me on the forehead when he would leave for the base in the morning;  All dressed up in his flight uniform.  He was my hero.


----------



## SeaBreeze

Awww Sifu, you looked so precious!  Would have loved to make little raspberry noises on that chubby little belly of yours! :love_heart:  I remember still being in my crib, but able to stand up and wait for someone to take me out in the morning.  My brother and sister shared that room with me, in twin beds.

I remember once, I must've been around 3, when my father jokingly tried to hand me a fish he just caught.  I made that eww face, and put my hands behind my back, mom got a picture, so I'm sure it was planned. :sentimental:


----------



## Pricklypear

I don't remember anything before about age 5.  We'd gotten our first television and every Saturday I'd watch this program called Winky Dink and You.  I remember pestering my poor mother every morning about whether or not it was Saturday.

I used to think I had an early memory but I must have dreamed it.  Even though I was only about two and wearing an outfit my mother had made, I didn't actually meet the people in that "memory" until I was in elementary school.


----------



## That Guy

Pricklypear said:


> I don't remember anything before about age 5.  We'd gotten our first television and every Saturday I'd watch this program called Winky Dink and You.  I remember pestering my poor mother every morning about whether or not it was Saturday.
> 
> I used to think I had an early memory but I must have dreamed it.  Even though I was only about two and wearing an outfit my mother had made, I didn't actually meet the people in that "memory" until I was in elementary school.



WINKY DINK!!!  Good ol' Saturday mornin' television.


----------



## SifuPhil

Pricklypear said:


> I don't remember anything before about age 5.  We'd gotten our first television and every Saturday I'd watch this program called Winky Dink and You.  I remember pestering my poor mother every morning about whether or not it was Saturday.



LOL Winky Dink! I couldn't wait to receive the special drawing set so I just drew on the TV screen with my Crayolas.

... Mom was not amused. 



> I used to think I had an early memory but I must have dreamed it.  Even though I was only about two and wearing an outfit my mother had made, I didn't actually meet the people in that "memory" until I was in elementary school.



That's interesting, how our memories sometimes blur together. I have a few like that myself - not sure if they're real or not. Like the one about being married to Marilyn Monroe ...


----------



## Planxty

A piece of music, played on an old Dansette record player. In some ways it came to define my life lyrically. But also left me with a lifelong passion for music.


----------



## That Guy

Used to sing this in my friend's band at parties.  A lot of fun.


----------



## TWHRider

I was two years old; to this day I can still clearly remember the home funeral services for Uncle Fonnie.  I know I was two because grandma having the funeral in her home came up (that was common when folks lived as rural as we all did) in one the "Remember When" conversations with my mom, years later.

I described everything in detail to mom, who nearly fell flat out that my memory was so clear.  She said I was two when he passed, so there's no doubt about my age, still doubts about my mental stability, however - lollol


----------



## TWHRider

SifuPhil said:


> What is your earliest memory?
> 
> It could be a snatch of hearing people talking, or a memory of a vision of the family dog ... the smell of Mom's perfume ...
> 
> Some people claim that they can remember back almost to the time of their own birth. I on the other hand can only go back to being maybe 4-5 years old, playing on the living-room floor with my plastic toy soldiers. I also remember being in a kiddie pool, but that memory is a bit hazy - luckily I still have a photo ...
> 
> View attachment 398
> 
> So what is your earliest memory?



sweet:rofl:

Wasn't it The Three Stooges who did a skit with the three of them in a baby carriage?  I loved those complete idiots:tv:


----------



## SeaBreeze

Pricklypear said:


> We'd gotten our first television and every Saturday I'd watch this program called Winky Dink and You.  I remember pestering my poor mother every morning about whether or not it was Saturday.



The earliest kid show I remember is Captain Kangaroo with Mr. Green Jeans. :sentimental:  I too remember our first black and white TV, it was a real treat....not to be used unless my mother or father put it on for us. :love_heart:


----------



## TWHRider

SeaBreeze said:


> The earliest kid show I remember is Captain Kangaroo with Mr. Green Jeans. :sentimental:  I too remember our first black and white TV, it was a real treat....not to be used unless my mother or father put it on for us. :love_heart:



The Pinky Lee show was aired on a local station, so that was the first kid TV I remember.  Can't forget Howdy Doody

The premier show to watch was The Ed Sullivan Show on Sunday night.  Dad liked "I Led Three Lives" on Friday night.  It was a cross between a cold war/FBI weekly thriller.  I hated that show - lol lol

It was 1951 or 1952 and our very first B&W TV was teeny little thing that sat on a shelf.  It lasted about a month because Dad couldn't stand looking at tiny thing.  Next thing I knew there was this big ole floor model Raytheon with a round screen.  I know he had to have made payments on that for a year because we were dirt poor dairy farmers at that time.

TV was responsible for me learning to read grown up stuff - lol  They talk what was written when the credits started roll and I would mimic what I saw -- that was safe to do back then - lol lol lol

Like you Seabreeze, my little hand touching anything on that TV resulted in a trip to THE Hallway, where the razor strap hung - lo lol  Honest-to-Pete I was 12 before I allowed to "touch that dial" - lol lol


----------



## Ozarkgal

SifuPhil said:


> What is your earliest memory?
> 
> It could be a snatch of hearing people talking, or a memory of a vision of the family dog ... the smell of Mom's perfume ...
> 
> Some people claim that they can remember back almost to the time of their own birth. I on the other hand can only go back to being maybe 4-5 years old, playing on the living-room floor with my plastic toy soldiers. I also remember being in a kiddie pool, but that memory is a bit hazy - luckily I still have a photo ...
> 
> View attachment 398
> 
> So what is your earliest memory?




Well, there goes my keyboard again, hot coffee this morning!  This is just wrong!


----------



## Pappy

I can remember bits and pieces of early childhood. I use to stay with my grandparents as mom worked in town and had an apartment. I remember getting up in the middle of the night and going to see mom, as grandpa was drunk and scared the crap out of me, and started the two mile trip to town. A car came along, I must have been a sight be ing so small, and took me to my moms place and stayed with me until she woke up and came to door.

can you imagine if this happened today? I would probably be buried in someone's rose garden. This would have been in early 40's.


----------



## Anne

Pappy said:


> I can remember bits and pieces of early childhood. I use to stay with my grandparents as mom worked in town and had an apartment. I remember getting up in the middle of the night and going to see mom, as grandpa was drunk and scared the crap out of me, and started the two mile trip to town. A car came along, I must have been a sight be ing so small, and took me to my moms place and stayed with me until she woke up and came to door.
> 
> can you imagine if this happened today? I would probably be buried in someone's rose garden. This would have been in early 40's.



Oh my.....isn't that the truth?!!  I remember the days we would go to the woods; about a mile away, and stay the entire day.  No one came looking; they may have worried at times, but outside of an accident, we weren't in any danger from weirdos, neighbors, or any person who might wander through the area.   I don't understand what's happened, but I don't like my own grandchildren walking around the neighborhood, and we're not in any city.   It's a very scary world these days.


----------



## That Guy

Yep . . . NEVER allowed to touch the television (which I plan on doing a lot of once the tv guy gets me going, today...) and I remember always playing outside with no worries.  I sure do hate to be an alarmist but have been hearing too much news, lately, about children being snatched right out of their mother's arms!  Now's the time I'm all for frontier justice.  Waste that slime!


----------



## TWHRider

Anne said:


> Oh my.....isn't that the truth?!!  I remember the days we would go to the woods; about a mile away, and stay the entire day.  No one came looking; they may have worried at times, but outside of an accident, we weren't in any danger from weirdos, neighbors, or any person who might wander through the area.   I don't understand what's happened, but I don't like my own grandchildren walking around the neighborhood, and we're not in any city.   It's a very scary world these days.



I used to take off on my horse around the ten mile block that was the game preserve.  Nobody was allowed in the preserve so, mom never worried about somebody grabbing me off my horse in the woods.  What I didn't know until many years later, is she would call the neighbors to make sure they had seen or heard me ride by - lol lol  And I thought she wasn't paying attention:sentimental:


----------



## SeaBreeze

TWHRider said:


> The Pinky Lee show was aired on a local station, so that was the first kid TV I remember.  Can't forget Howdy DoodyLike you Seabreeze, my little hand touching anything on that TV resulted in a trip to THE Hallway, where the razor strap hung - lo lol  Honest-to-Pete I was 12 before I allowed to "touch that dial" - lol lol



The show song comes to my mind immediately...Yoo hoo, it's me...my name is Pinky Lee, and It's Howdy DOODY Time, lol!   I would've gotten a whack with the hand, or fly swatter. 

*""Yoo hoo,  it's me, My name is Pinky Lee.
 I skip and run with lots of fun For every he and she. 
It's plain to see That you can tell it's me
With my checkered hatAnd my checkered coat,
The funny giggle in my throat
And my silly danceLike a billy goat.
Put 'em all together,Put 'em all together,
And it's whooooo?(Audience): Pinky!"
*


Pappy said:


> I remember getting up in the middle of the night and going to see mom, as grandpa was drunk and scared the crap out of me, and started the two mile trip to town. A car came along, I must have been a sight be ing so small, and took me to my moms place and stayed with me until she woke up and came to door.
> 
> can you imagine if this happened today? I would probably be buried in someone's rose garden. This would have been in early 40's.



My mother always worried very much about me, and she really didn't trust any strangers at all.  I put that poor woman through hell when I was a teen, staying out late, and not letting her know where I was.  Luckily, I got to apologize to her before she passed on.  Nowadays, it's really scary.  Children are easy targets for sickos, and the news stories about tragedies just keep on comin'.


----------



## Pappy

Ah yes, Pinky Lee and Howdy. Mom would let me set up the TV stand and eat supper watching these shows. I would drive the family nuts pretending to be Clarabell and run around the house tooting my bulb horn and acting stupid. (That last part came natural). 

Before TV, I would do the same thing only with our huge radio. Sky King, Lone Ranger and Big Jon and Sparky were just a few of the shows I would listen to. Big day in my life was when I got my own Silvertone radio from Monky Wards and put it in my room.


----------



## That Guy

Listening to The Lone Ranger on the radio was a favorite of mine as a little guy.  Then, I loved Soupy Sales on television.  Oh yeah, and watching Beanie and Cecil with my grandpa on television (when they were still puppets and not that horrible cartoon they became) AND Kukla, Fran and Ollie, of course.


----------



## Pappy

I had forgotten about Kukla, Fran and Ollie. All these were in black and white TV. I recall one day my buddy spent all day bragging about how his folks had bought a color TV. I went down to his house to see this new invention and it turned out that his mom had bought a colored plastic sheet that fit over the screen. Alright if you like blue heads and yellow feet.....


----------



## MercyL

SifuPhil said:


> What is your earliest memory?
> 
> It could be a snatch of hearing people talking, or a memory of a vision of the family dog ... the smell of Mom's perfume ...
> 
> Some people claim that they can remember back almost to the time of their own birth. I on the other hand can only go back to being maybe 4-5 years old, playing on the living-room floor with my plastic toy soldiers. I also remember being in a kiddie pool, but that memory is a bit hazy - luckily I still have a photo ...
> 
> View attachment 398
> 
> So what is your earliest memory?



I believe my earliest memory was my first bought of intestinal flu. I remember it so vividly because I wanted to go outside,and my mother would not allow it. I wouldn't stay in bed because I was hurting to much to lie still.

I paced the hallway leading to our front door, and every few minutes I would stand on tiptoe to see if I could reach the knob and make my escape.

Any time I talk about the experience, with my mother within earshot, she swears that I cannot possibly remember that, which makes me wonder about her sanity. After all, if I can relay the story and she recognizes it as fact, which she does, I must be remembering, right?


----------



## That Guy

MercyL said:


> IAny time I talk about the experience, with my mother within earshot, she swears that I cannot possibly remember that, which makes me wonder about her sanity. After all, if I can relay the story and she recognizes it as fact, which she does, I must be remembering, right?



It's interesting what children remember and parent forget...


----------



## Pappy

I guess this was more popular when my kids were growing up. If I remember correctly, it was on every night. On one of our Christian channels, they are showing the old Roy Rogers TV program, followed by Ozzie and Harriett. Good, clean enjoyment without cussing. Can you imagine?


----------



## janfromflorida

You've been watching too much AFV!


----------



## janfromflorida

I remember trying so hard to remember what had happened before I ended up in this body.


----------



## SifuPhil

janfromflorida said:


> I remember trying so hard to remember what had happened before I ended up in this body.



Many times I've tried hard to remember the body I woke up next to ...


----------



## That Guy

SifuPhil said:


> Many times I've tried hard to remember the body I woke up next to ...



That's called an out of body experience . . .


----------



## SifuPhil

That Guy said:


> That's called an out of body experience . . .



At the time, yes, I was ... 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





OOBEs - _there's_ a whole new topic to discuss! Astral travel, lucid dreaming ... maybe we should start a Metaphysical Category here.


----------



## That Guy

I was surprised and pleased long ago upon learning that Bob "Captain Kangaroo" was Clarabell on Howdy Doody and served in the Marines.  My all time favorite on his show was Mister Bunny Rabbit.


----------



## SifuPhil

Some interesting stuff about the Captain and Lee Marvin in the military ...

*Snopes - Kangaroo Court*


----------



## Ozarkgal

SifuPhil said:


> Some interesting stuff about the Captain and Lee Marvin in the military ...
> 
> *Snopes - Kangaroo Court*



That was interesting...just goes to show how history gets re-written for the sake of a good story, then starts to become fact!


----------



## Ozarkgal

That Guy said:


> I was surprised and pleased long ago upon learning that Bob "Captain Kangaroo" was Clarabell on Howdy Doody and served in the Marines. My all time favorite on his show was Mister Bunny Rabbit.



I didn't know that (among a few other things probably).  Great trivia fact!


----------



## Happyflowerlady

One of my earliest memories was walking at nite with my mother. 
Sometimes, we walked across town to Grandma and Grandpa Baileys house, and Grandma would always feed me a spoon of mayonnaise . I have no idea how that started, but I remember expecting it when we went there. 

My favorite part of the walk was on the way home. We would cross the highway, and then there was a house that had a little white pony. To me, he was the most beautiful pony in the world, and I wanted him more than anything. 
Ever since, I have loved white horses, and I am sure it was because of our walks past the white pony.

One night, a kitty cat followed us home, meowing all the way. She was thin and hungry, so mom fed her , and of course, after that , we now had a cat. My favorite Little Golden Book at that time was Little Black Sambo, so Sambo is what I named our cat, despite Mom explaining that our cat was a girl. And yes, Sambo, she had kittens eventually...

I think I was around 3-4 at this time, so not as young as some remember things, but not very old either. We did not have a television until I was at least 13 years old, so I didn't watch any of the little kids TV shows.


----------



## SifuPhil

Did Sambo chase her kittens 'round and 'round a tree until they turned into butter, and did you enjoy the pancakes? :biggrin-new:

I had another one of my strange experiences the other day, where a certain smell / taste (it was a combination of both) triggered a memory from when I was 7 years old. 

Weird how that works ...


----------



## veejay

At about 3 years old, I fell into a swimming pool,  and I remember splashing about trying not swallow water (well My Mum said that what I said was "I didn't swallow any water Mum!")

She had taken a group of girl Guides for swimming lessons, and was in the dressing room, when I fell in, I was sitting on the edge dangling feet and couldn't reach the water and kept trying and fell in. Not sure why one of the Guides couldn't get me out, they just ran to get her, but anyway am still here, 70 years later.


----------



## Warrigal

I have a memory of having a gas mask over my face at the dentist after my mother dropped me and broke a tooth. I don't remember anything else except the gas mask and someone saying "smell the pretty perfume". I was less that 18 months old at the time.

The next memory I clearly recall is when I was nearly three. I was being held by my grandfather on the front fence, waiting for my father to come home from the war. I had no idea what he looked like and I was craning my neck to see him.


----------



## Jillaroo

_I can remember having to have my tonsils out when i was four and waking up with a boy in the bed with me we were top and tail, i was pretty annoyed about that and down right angry when he got icecream & jelly and i didn't.
            I also remember playing outside with my girlfriend next door, not once did we say we were bored as we always found things to do, different now isn't it, lord help parents if they don't have TV, Nintendo , Xbox as the kids have no idea how to amuse themselves these days without all the new technology.
. _


----------



## Diwundrin

I've no idea what age I was, somewhere past toddler to get there, but I remember being scooped up by my distraught Mum when she found me sitting in the gutter under the street light watching the bugs flying around it and wondering whatever had happened to upset her.

I heard the story later, I'd been introduced to Cabbage for the first time and it wasn't a happy meeting.  I wouldn't eat it and turned on a bit of a show about the fact so she put me outside the kitchen door in the dark and shut it.  A few minutes in the scary dark would fix my attitude, but  I was gone when she opened it a few minutes later.  I was off into the 'wild' and walked right around the house in the dark to the streetlight out front and was perfectly okay with the whole thing.

 I think I might only remember it as being my first taste of 'freedom', and independence, as it wasn't scary to me at all.   I later ended up doing 26 years on mainly afternoon and night shifts,so it seems I was born to be nocturnal, and the night, nor solitude,  never held any fears for me, they still don't.
Still won't eat cabbage either.

Most reliable early memories are of smells and tastes.  Some memories I doubt as they could be impressions formed from stories and photos.  I remember the smell of the pollard/bran whatever that Granddad fed to the chickens. It was kept in a barrel in big open shed and I'd sit on it to watch him making split cane fishing rods. He made a small one for me when I was around 4 or 5 and I remember busting to get to where I could use it.  I remember catching the first 5 fish  with it.  2 saltwater catfish, 2 toadfish, and a baby Bream.  Not bad for a first effort I thought.:biggrin-new:  But I remember we were at the coast, on sand and Gdad lived  inland so don't know where it was that I first used it.

The most detailed true memory of early times is of the booth, even down to the colour of the walls, in the very first Chinese restaurant I ever visited.  I was around 4ish.  That was the nearest thing to a heavenly epiphany I ever experienced.  I can still 'see' and smell that plate of Sweet and Sour fish and fried rice.
I don't think I've been that excited since.  Weellll, maybe a couple of times....   Mum was worried I wouldn't eat it, I was a tad fussy about a few things but ... no worries... scoffed it and tried a bit of what everyone else was eating.   It was an introduction to a lifelong addiction. :biggrin-new:

Mmmmm. :confused-new: Seems to be a bit of a food fetish pattern forming here......:biggrin-new:


----------



## Jillaroo

_Mum always sent me to stay with my Fathers sister in Ballarat every school holiday, ised to love it there as i could play chopsticks to my hearts content on the piano, and i would help peel the brains for my aunty yuk, i used to go to Lake Wendouree and catch stacks of frogs and bring them home and put ion the pond they had.
 They had Bantoms and i was fascinated at the size of the eggs, i always had to have the bantom eggs when we ate eggs. They has a Cocky that used to swear at the next door neighbour, no idea what the neighbour thought of that haha. 
              There was a bakery across the road and the smell would waft into the house yum it made my mouth water, i have very fond memories from there and have always enjoyed visiting Ballarat even when i was an adult._


----------



## That Guy

veejay said:


> At about 3 years old, I fell into a swimming pool,  and I remember splashing about trying not swallow water (well My Mum said that what I said was "I didn't swallow any water Mum!")
> 
> She had taken a group of girl Guides for swimming lessons, and was in the dressing room, when I fell in, I was sitting on the edge dangling feet and couldn't reach the water and kept trying and fell in. Not sure why one of the Guides couldn't get me out, they just ran to get her, but anyway am still here, 70 years later.



This could have turned out tragically as it often does.  Glad you are still here to tell the tale.


----------



## terra

My earliest memory is my first day at kindergarten at the age of 4.    It's so vivid, I can recall my best friend Johnny Trainer being there,.. my mum so young and good looking and those ugly lady school teachers... yep,..  weren't a pretty one amongst them.

Every kid had a leather school bag, a satchel type shoulder bag with two leather straps with shiny chrome metal buckles.  Because we were mostly from a poor, working class area, leather was the only option for us poor folk... we couldn't afford that new fangled nylon/plastic type of school bag .  





Tinged with the overwhelming smell of new leather, was the various sandwiches and fillings.  Egg sandwiches seemed to be the most prominent nice smell.
Even now, whenever I sense the smell of new leather, maybe a coat or leather lounge chair, my memory immediately springs back 66 years ago to my first day in school...


----------



## That Guy

My first day at kindergarten was going fine until a kid came in with bawling his face off and giving me pause . . .    He turned out to be a wimp anyway...


----------



## RedRibbons

I have some flashes, when I was a toddler, but don't know if they are true memories or not. I see myself walking outside and smashing some kind of wild berries. I see my mother outide cleaning clothes by boiling them in some kind of pot. Maybe memories from this life, or a former one, I don't know.
First memory that seems real in this lifetime: Me around age 4 or 5 playing with a little black girl in California, where my father was stationed in the Army. I feel this one must be true in this lifetime, because my father verified that.


----------



## Sassycakes

*I really remember when I was 4yrs old and my Mom said there wasn't going to be Christmas that year. I was sad. Then Christmas morning when me and my sister who was 6yrs old woke up and went downstairs there were 2 wicker baskets with a walking doll in each one. My Dad said that Santa had stopped in and left the dolls for me and my sister. I found out later that my Mom's Mother had passed away at the end of November and she didn't want to have any decorations or Christmas tree put up. My Dad felt bad for me and my sister and decided he was buying us something. That was many many years ago and me and my sister still have the dolls and put them under our Christmas trees every year.*


----------



## cdestroyer

somewhere between 2 and 3. we lived in a two story walkup in butte montana.. dad was selling vacuums,and brought home a nifty little gadget that stapled paper together,,,,I stuck my hand in it and promptly got fingers stapled...


----------



## Mr. Ed

Pre-consumption


----------



## Sassycakes

Jillaroo said:


> _I can remember having to have my tonsils out when i was four and waking up with a boy in the bed with me we were top and tail, i was pretty annoyed about that and down right angry when he got icecream & jelly and i didn't.
> I also remember playing outside with my girlfriend next door, not once did we say we were bored as we always found things to do, different now isn't it, lord help _


You brought back a memory of me when I was 4yrs old. I also had my tonsils out and they promised me when it was over I could have jello. My sister who was 6yrs old had her tonsils removed the same day. After the surgery, she got the ice cream she had asked for and I got nothing.I still can't understand why I didn't get my jello.


----------



## Gary O'

SifuPhil said:


> What is your earliest memory?


I so miss Philly

Anyway, since this thread was resurrected;


The race is my earliest memory

...aaaaaand......... I won!


----------



## fuzzybuddy

My earliest remembrance was when I  was standing on a corner, and this sperm swam by.
I can remember laying in my crib, and hearing squirrels run around on the roof. About the same time, my dad went down the cellar, and left the door open. I was crawling around and started to go down the stairs. I remember I could see a bare  lit light bulb hanging from the ceiling. I heard my mother scream. That's it-all I remember of that time.

(BTW, while i was typing this post, Gary O' posted a much better version of my sperm tale.)


----------



## Fyrefox

My earliest memory was of sitting on a wooden chair on a rainy day as I ate a sandwich and watched a black-and-white cartoon on TV about a tiger.  I think I remember that because all of my senses were triggered to anchor the memory.  The hard wooden chair was uncomfortable; the rain made pattering sounds, and caused the air to smell good; the baloney and cheese sandwich stimulated taste, and of course the cartoon was sight and sound.- -_Hello world!  _I was then fully functional...


----------

