My First Memory

I have a bizarrely good memory. I'm not sure why, I just do. Not quite photographic, but I can remember a lot of incidents from when I was very, very young. Which is something I've always liked, most of my early memories are happy so i enjoy reliving them. My family was much more "normal" when i was little. I was loved, treasured, enjoyed, and encouraged to be myself. My family was not without problems, my parents fought a lot, my Dad was a partier and heavy drinker, and my Mom was very unhappy in their marriage, but like most small children, I was completely oblivious to all that, I was the center of my own little world. 

I've heard a theory that memory is tied to language, and that makes sense because I was also an early talker. My parents tell me that before I turned two I was talking in full sentences, and loved to tell people that my Mom and I were going to take a trip "to Sausalito to see Grandma Petrivoski*" 

And it was actually a small part of that very trip that I remember.

The airport was huge, the tiled floors seemed to stretch forever in every direction. The floor was mostly whitish, but there were black squares here and there, so I was jumping from black square to black square. Mom was with me, but she seemed kind of distracted. Finally we reached a counter that seemed as tall as a cliff. Mom talked to another grown up up there, while I looked around at all the people and the tall, tall glass windows. Finally, a pretty lady in a blue uniform came around the counter and crouched down to my level. She said I was really cute. Then she gave me a present! It was a little white vinyl pencil box, with a symbol of the airline on top. It had a funny clasp that you could twist, then pull it through a slot, to open the lid. I thought that box was the most fascinating thing ever. I say there in the waiting area for a long time, twisting and untwisting the clasp, opening and closing the lid, putting things in, and taking them out. 

And that's all I remember. I don't remember anything at all about the actual visit, although I have some treasured photos of little me and my Grandma together. Maybe the reason I remember that so well is because I kept that pencil box for years. I even used it for my pencils in first grade. I have no idea what eventually became of it. Most likely it fell apart and was thrown away. But I will never forget that nice airline employee and her kindness to a little child. 

I turned two on that trip, while visiting my grandparents. To this day, I will look at little toddlers and shake my head in amazement that I can remember being so small. But it also reminds me to always be kind to little children. You never know whose first memory you may be a part of! I want to do my part to make sure to give kids good memories! 

*name changed to protect my anonymity. But the real name was just as long and complicated to say, lol!