When I look back on my childhood, there are some aspects of it which seem to have made a disproportionate impression on my memory banks in relation to their actual duration. For example, when I think of comics like Wham!, or Fantastic - or any of the Power Comics in fact - it feels like they were on sale for years and years, whereas the reality is that Wham! lasted for only around 3-and-a-half years and I bought it for probably less than half its lifespan before it was merged with Pow!
Fantastic lasted for 89 issues - a mere year-and-9-months - yet, again, to my mind, it was part of my life for 3 or 4 times that. Thunder? Jet? Each only survived for 22 issues, but in the misty mazes of my memory, seem to have extended way beyond their far-too short lifespan. Another example from my own experience is the first issue of the revamped Smash! I sold my copy to a classmate after only 4 days, but the images of its contents were so seared into my consciousness that when I obtained a replacement 15-and-half years later, I remembered every page as though I'd last laid eyes on them only a day or two before.
And it's the same with toys. There will be many a toy that I probably owned for weeks or months (perhaps even days or hours in some cases) that I still recall with startling clarity as though they accompanied me through life from childhood to adulthood. And isn't it strange how we seem to retroactively remember each toy as though we owned them all at the same time for the same duration, when in fact, some will have been dispensed with before others ever came into our possession?
Strangely, that illusion still holds sway even when we know that one particular toy was bought in 1965 and another in 1969 after the '65 toy had been swapped, given away, or thrown out. The two (and others) survive in memory as contemporaries, even though they weren't. It's even the same with people. I had friends and acquaintances who never made it into their 20s (or who just got their foot over the threshold) who still seem relevant and current to me as if they yet lived and hadn't bowed out of life's race (not that it was their choice) two-thirds of my life away.
Sometimes, when I look back on yesteryear, my life seem to have consisted of one single large tapestry 'woven' together from various experiences; at other times, lots of separate, individual, unconnected 'pieces', each one occupying its own private space in my mind. Though when it comes down to it, is it all ultimately the same thing? If that makes any kind of sense to you (and that'll depend on whether I've managed to convey my thoughts with even a hint of clarity or coherence), feel free to add your own musings in the comments section.
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Update: As is typical of me, I knew where I intended to go when I started writing this post, but soon forgot in which direction I was headed not too long into it. (The ol' 'brain fog', alas - I just can't seem to maintain my mental focus for long these days.) One thing I meant to say was that it seems strange to me that moments in my youth which were relatively short periods of time in the scheme of things, whether they be days, weeks, months, or a couple or so years, feel like they lasted for a far longer span than succeeding decades. For example, the last 35 years or so don't seem anywhere near as long or as memorable as much shorter 'episodes' which preceded them. Go figure, as the saying goes.
10 comments:
Ultimately every experience in life is part of one great whole but thinking back to childhood, for example, I often feel that the me of those days was a completely different person because it was so long ago and so unconnected to the me of today.
But, of course, although you may feel that the you of then is unconnected to the you of today, is he really? Or does it only seem like that? A puzzle indeed, CJ.
Kid, did you hear the fascinating report this week that NASA might have discovered life on another planet? The planet is called K2-18b in the constellation of Leo The Lion 120 light-years from Earth and NASA scientists think it might be covered by an ocean with an atmosphere containing molecules which on Earth are produced only by life. It's only a matter of time before it's confirmed that we are not alone in the universe.
And did you know that Mike Yarwood has died? I only heard this morning!
I saw the article in a newspaper, CJ, but didn't read it. You never know with NASA - maybe they're saying that so their budget doesn't get cut, eh? Yeah, knew about Mike Yarwood, but it surprised me a bit because I thought he'd died a few years back.
Time passes slowly in childhood. I suppose various explanations are possible. Novelty is one explanation, as children have new experiences all the time, whereas adults tread well-worn paths, much of the time. Without many new experiences, little that's noteworthy happens, and weeks, months, years seem to pass quickly. I didn't really read that many comics, aged 8 - but that year seemed the longest, and perhaps most magical comics year. That being said age 10 was pretty good, too! However, the following decades should have surpassed that number of new experiences - novelties - but still haven't matched those few precious years!
Phillip
You'd think, though, that because kids have new experiences all the time, they'd be enjoying the newest one without dwelling much on the older ones, no? So why do these periods seem longer in retrospect? As you suggest, it must be because they make a bigger impression at the time, but it's difficult to accept that I've done nothing noteworthy or memorable for over half my life. I guess I'm a failure, but maybe only because I've never really tried too hard to succeed at anything. Gosh! Life is tough. (And my brain hurts.)
I think, according to the 'more new experiences' theory, it's more about dozens of new childhood experiences crammed into a year - say - rather than lots of similar banal adult experiences - e.g. going to town to get the shopping at the same stores. Thus, remembering, one childhood year seems 'longer', because more landmark events happened in it, rather than just trips to the supermarket! Of course, there's obviously much more to time perception than that. According to Wordsworth, there's a phenomenal glory in the world, which can be perceived in childhood, but, for adults, is only vaguely remembered. A Robert Frost poem, entitled 'Always Gold', referenced in 'The Outsiders', is also bumping to my mind's surface, in support of that idea!
Phillip
I had a look for that poem, but can't find one with that title. Do you mean 'Nothing Gold Can Stay', perhaps?
Kid - Yes, that's it!
Phillip
Ta much. I shall read it again and ponder it.
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