Isn't it funny, the things childhood memories are made up of? Though each of us would pick different things, I think it's a fair guess that some things would appear again and again: a grandmother's baking, the vast expanse of a field (and how small it looks now through adult eyes), how many kids shared your name at school. Later on, the embarassing things that happened at your summer job, and dreams of the things you really wanted to do when you grew up.
These are all things that were on DeborahLynne's list when she decided to share her memories of growing up on Long Beach Island in New Jersey. Naturally enough, she begins with the people -- the first and most important influence on the life of a very small child. Then the places, and what they meant to her. The marina, well, that's where she caught her first eel. The church and high school led her to discover a love of choral singing. Her grandparents' home was a place of deep-fried doughnuts and of semi-wild cats.
It's these little things, the detail of a time held only in memory, that makes her memories -- and yours and mine -- special. None of us had quite the same upbringing as Debbie, but many of us will smile as she must have done to recall the funny things a childhood pet once did. Just as we cringe in sympathy at her dropping that tray full of doughnuts at her part-time job.
Just as fascinating are the things that may be different, such as ice skating on a frozen lake. And some things we can only experience by reading the true-life stories of others. Debbie shares an amazing tale of the time there was a small whale in her neighbors' swimming pool.
From her childhood, too, came Debbie's fascination with astronomy, which remains with her today. In See What Makes Me Tick, My Younger Years she writes: My passion is the unexplored (at least by me), and the unknown. What is it that lies just around the next bend? Small wonder that she would have loved to have been an astronaut.
Having read about her adventures and dreams, I will no longer see Debbie as just another name on a screen next time I come across her work online. Now she'll be the little girl who caught a really big eel and dreamed of going into space. Why not head over there are get to know her a little better yourself? Or maybe share some of your own childhood memories?
I agree that these "About Me" lenses tell you so much about a person and they are no longer just a name on a screen. Debbie did a great job sharing the stories that impacted her as a child.
ReplyDeleteOh, I really enjoyed meeting Debbie and reading about her memories. Great lead up to the article!
ReplyDeleteGreat choice, Nicki. A lens with substance, for sure. DeborahLynne's got what it takes. :)
ReplyDeleteWordCustard. Thank you so much for a very nice and well-written review of the story of my yearly years, recapturing my thoughts and dreams. You add to my memories with your descriptive overview of my life experiences! Thank you again for your kind words. Debbie
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