House On Fire
…my house on fire.
I remember being wrapped in a blanket and being placed in the neighbors’ house. I was 2 years old.
The house didn’t end up burning down.
I Don’t Wanna
I don’t wanna talk about it.
A Light Bulb
It was my mom’s birthday. And I smashed my hand in her cake.
I remember she had just told me - - after I swiped my finger across the frosting - - that piece I had touched was mine.
And a light bulb went off.
And I slammed my hand down on her cake.
Leaving and Being Upset
…going to India the only time I’ve ever been. I was 6 years old.
Is that old for a first memory?
I remember meeting my grandmother there. Then I guess I remember leaving and being upset.
Stubbing My Toe
…hard to say…it’s all mixed up…I’m not sure I can tell the difference between stories I’ve heard sometimes…I guess I remember stubbing my toe, really badly, and blood everywhere…panic.
Yellow Linoleum
…a yellow linoleum kitchen.
Pretty Spectacular
The first thing I remember? Hmmm.
I guess that would be my parents taking me to Treasure Island. I grew up in La Honda, you see. My parents took me to Treasure Island and we watched the first clipper ship, in 1939, take off and head to Hawaii.
It was pretty spectacular.
Levels Of Emotion
I remember sitting in the car with my older sister, in the days before car seats. My dad had this big boat of an Oldsmobile. And we were in the driveway, and my sister undid the parking brake. It started to roll backwards and my dad came running out of the house and jumped in the car and stopped it.
I probably remember this because there were so many levels of emotion going on.
Potty Train Me
When my parents tried to potty train me, I was like, “Hell no!”
There was a Big Wheel hanging from the ceiling by a rope and pulley. My parents would raise it up and down. As I reached for it they would raise it up, and say, “No, no, no…Big Wheels are for big boys.”
That is how they potty trained me.
Introducing
I got my leg stuck in the crib. I had really chubby legs when I was little. And my mom was freaking out. She even tried using vaseline to get my leg out, but it was really stuck.
She called 911 and a fire truck and policeman came.
I don’t actually remember how I got my leg out - - did they cut the bars?
But I remember after…I remember introducing the policeman and the firefighters to my stuffed animals.
And Looking Out
…opening up the door of my bedroom.
I lived in St. Louis, Missouri, until I was in preschool and then we moved away.
And I remember opening up the door in my room and looking out.
My grandfather used to come and babysit me when my mom went to work.
I remember looking out from the door and seeing my grandfather in the hallway smiling.
My Neighborhood in Chicago
…my neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois…and crab apples in the trees and on the ground.
