My Stories in Hand class began on Monday, and today was the first day to begin thinking about some memories (up to now, we have been constructing a book of memory sparks and a jotter to note current happenings). Today's assignment involves reading through about a hundred questions dealing with childhood. While I did that, it came as no surprise to me that I don't remember a whole lot; not on the surface anyway. The questions did spark a few memories and I'm sure I'll be able to find more as I dig deeper, but I do have the sense (and I already knew this about myself) that I don't remember a lot of details from my childhood.
At the same time, I am aware that I know someone who says she remembers "everything" about her childhood in detail, and another person who, like me, feels she doesn't remember much. It has me wondering... why do some people remember a lot and others very little? Have we processed the information differently for some reason? Did I simply move on from one experience to another without giving the previous experience much thought? Did the person who remembers a lot think about her experiences often, thereby solidifying them in her memory? Or, are our perceptions of our childhood memories simply different; I mean, do I actually remember a typical amount but just perceive that it's not very much? In any case, I'm looking forward to the process of triggering and then recording whatever I can recall!
I'm curious, do you feel like you remember a little or a lot -- or perhaps an average amount (whatever that may be!)?
