One photo. One memory. One thing to pass on to a kid. Then we’re gone till Thursday.
Memories show up when you are not expecting them.
I was sitting down, working in another room half paying attention to the conversation in other parts of the house.
A grocery list was vaguely being coordinated - the kind that is built from yells from different parts of the house.
“No - a gallon of milk!” came roaring through halls.
Instinctually, without a millisecond of breath, I started repeating, “A loaf of bread and a stick of butter.” I stopped what I was doing, chased down the elder GenX in my house, and repeated, “A loaf of bread, a container of milk, a stick of butter.”
Long pause. Eyes narrowing, that look like someone is going way back in their memories. A then, that satisfying recognition. Eyes wide, “found it” - and the slumping in the chair when the weight of memory comes crashing down.
Without prompting, “I remember… My mom would hand me $10 to go to the store. She’d hand me the list, tell me to get EXACTLY what was on that list, there WILL be change, and she wouldn’t let go of that money until I acknowledged that there would be change.”
I had to find it. Thank the powers for Sesame Street.
I know there have been animated parodies of it - but let’s take a moment and revisit the original.
Watch the original: “I can remember”, 1972 by animator Jim Simon.
Voiced by Gladys Perry as both Mother and Daughter roles.
Homework Assignment
This one’s different as well.
See if you can sneak in a meeting, “A loaf of bread…” and see if anyone responds.
See ya next Thursday.
-SMCoaT crew
