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As someone living in my seventh house by the time I was twenty-
eight, I've often wondered what it must be like for those who've lived
in the same abode for all of their remembered life. You see, to me, the
memories of each area I've lived in (especially growing up), each set of
friends, neighbours, experiences, etc., is almost like having lived several
alternate lives when I think back on them. To someone who has always
lived in the same house, I'd imagine it's an entirely different scenario.
eight, I've often wondered what it must be like for those who've lived
in the same abode for all of their remembered life. You see, to me, the
memories of each area I've lived in (especially growing up), each set of
friends, neighbours, experiences, etc., is almost like having lived several
alternate lives when I think back on them. To someone who has always
lived in the same house, I'd imagine it's an entirely different scenario.
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This makes me wonder if their perception of time is the same as mine.
Having stayed in the same place all their life, does the period of their
childhood seem to have passed quicker or slower to them, not having
consisted of separate 'epochs' in the way that mine has? As I once ex-
plained in a previous post, regardless of whether I lived somewhere for
one year, four years, or eleven years, when I look back, it doesn't feel as
if I spent longer in one place than I did another. Consequently, having
stayed in five different houses before I was fourteen - for what seems
like equal duration - the impression that I've lived five distinct child-
hoods is perhaps more understandable than would at first appear.
Having stayed in the same place all their life, does the period of their
childhood seem to have passed quicker or slower to them, not having
consisted of separate 'epochs' in the way that mine has? As I once ex-
plained in a previous post, regardless of whether I lived somewhere for
one year, four years, or eleven years, when I look back, it doesn't feel as
if I spent longer in one place than I did another. Consequently, having
stayed in five different houses before I was fourteen - for what seems
like equal duration - the impression that I've lived five distinct child-
hoods is perhaps more understandable than would at first appear.
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However, if you've lived in the same house all your life, you only have
memories of growing up against the background of the same place to
reflect on in later life, so - does your sense of time, uninterrupted as it
was in comparison to mine, operate on the same level? I don't suppose
I'll ever really know, but the question fascinates me. As I also said in
another post, I have a tendency to imbue a sense of the profound into
the most trivial of concepts - perhaps this is just one such occasion.
memories of growing up against the background of the same place to
reflect on in later life, so - does your sense of time, uninterrupted as it
was in comparison to mine, operate on the same level? I don't suppose
I'll ever really know, but the question fascinates me. As I also said in
another post, I have a tendency to imbue a sense of the profound into
the most trivial of concepts - perhaps this is just one such occasion.
Anyone got any thoughts on the matter?
6 comments:
I stayed in one house- my dad's house- for the first twenty-one years of my life, so that definitely feels like a distinct "epoch".
I then rented a room in seven different flats over the next decade but I only stayed in two for more than one year. So that marks two more epochs (aka the late 80s and the early 90s)
I've paid a mortgage on two further flats in the East End of Glasgow but the first- for eight years-feels like only one! That leaves the flat I rent out now in Glasgow and this one in Elgin. So the total stands at five epochs, emotionally speaking.
By the time I was thirteen and a half, I was in my fifth house, so my childhood really does seem split into five equal portions, even 'though it's an illusion. Strange how the mind plays tricks on one's perceptions, eh?
My Dad was in the RAF - this is back in the days you blog about - (before Britain was kicked out of the rest of the world!) and I remember distinctly being aware that each move was different. I counted them and got a shock how many houses I stayed in.
I have a friend who is 54 and has lived in the same house all his life having been born there. His books from childhood have almost sunk into the bookshelves they were placed on in the 60s! Now THAT to me is weird
BTW Your 'trivial' is interesting
It must be like living in a time capsule for your friend. I'm almost slightly envious.
Thanks for commenting.
As a kid I always liked the idea of staying in the same place, but like a few folk my parents moved house quite a few times and had 7 houses by the time I was 25 (although I had my own place at 20 onwards but I did stay with them now and then when in between houses/flats) strangely all 7 houses were about 15 miles away from each other almost in a straight line (from Cambuslang to Stonehouse for those that know the area)I went back to my 2 "main" childhood homes about 5 years ago and despite being gutted and moving at the time I was so glad my parent moved as they seemed so small and the years had not been kind to them - including my 7 houses with my family you can add a further 10 to that number that I have lived in (from Glasgow to London to Kenya - last one was only for 5 months but looks cool lol)- with me staying 11 years (so far) in my current house - but I still consider my first 3 houses with my family as "home" -awwwww - McScotty
I had originally intended my post to be more comprehensive than it turned out, addressing some of the things that you touch upon in your comments, McScotty. I'll be developing the theme first chance I get.
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