When I was about 4 years old, my mom put me into a pre-school near the ShopRite in my town. I remembered seeing the huge letters of the sign for the supermarket before she dropped me off. When I got into the classroom, I was delighted with all of the toys but when I realized that my mom had left, I began to cry hysterically. The teacher tried to calm me down but did not succeed. I cried for three straight hours until my mom had to come back and pick me up. I remember driving back home in my car seat, exhausted because I had cried so much. I think I remember this very vividly because I cried so much and because whenever I go to the supermarket, which is quite often, I get reminded of this event. For this reason, it has become embedded into my memory. My personality is very much different now as opposed to then because I feel that I am a lot less dependent on my mother and I also do not cry very often. I feel I'm a stronger and more confident person.
-Britney Spears
-- Edited by 102intro on Tuesday 20th of October 2009 01:05:24 AM
Do you think your memory of the preschool debacle has helped make you that way? I would imagine that constant reminders of an embarrassing memory, if you felt embarrassed by it when you were younger, would prompt you to adopt a new, stronger attitude.
My earliest memory is similar to yours too. I think we tend to remember such events so vividly because it is the first time in our lives that we become really separated from our parents. It is also a first step towards some form of limited independence.
I think our ability to deal with environmental changes improves as we grow up. Crying was perhaps the best way out when we are first faced with a situation that makes us confused and lost because by crying, we could be sure some adult will come and calm us down. Now as we grow up, we are stronger on our own and tend to cry less not only because it could be potentially embarassing in public, but because we learn that there are usually other more effective ways to deal with these obstacles. We are able to learn what to do or what to expect based on our experience and thus cope better in the face of difficulties.
On another note, it is still normal for humans to cry still at times, because this remnant behavior remains in us all the time and when faced with seemingly no other solutions, it might sometimes just feel better for a person to cry and let it all out.
-darkstorm
-- Edited by 102intro on Tuesday 20th of October 2009 06:06:37 AM
-- Edited by 102intro on Tuesday 20th of October 2009 06:06:52 AM
Similarly to you, I feel like I remember my earliest memory so vividly because I was upset and crying. I think the moments of extreme emotion, whether it be sadness or joy, are the moments we remember the most. I tend to remember the negative things the most though, which isn't to my favor at all--it makes it hard to forgive people and/or to move on. It allows me to hold grudges and to have regrets. For example, I remember the time when I was three and my grandma decided to just take my older sister to disney world and to leave me with my parents because she thought I was too young and would miss my parents too much. I was mad at her for such a long time for leaving me behind, and resented my sister because she got to go to Disney World and I didn't. But this was fifteen years ago and I can still remember every detail of the ordeal--I'd rather I didn't.
I had a very similar experience when I was first dropped off at Kindergarten. I too was excited by seeing everyone else and all the bright colors and large shapes, but realizing I was away from my mother was a terrible feeling at the time. This feeling of sadness went on for about a day and a half but then I realized I was only there for half a day and got to ride the nice bus back to my house for lunch.
Remembering events like these are easy to recall because it is a big turning point in our young lives. All the time leading up to that point we have been with someone constantly, and then they leave for the day.
