31-Day Blog Challenge! Day 13ish: My Earliest Memories

“My Earliest Memories” all involve watching people.

 

I am absolutely fascinated by people – how they move, what they say, how they use facial expressions and hand gestures for communication. This “interest” of mine has been around since I was tiny, and makes me distinctly suited for physical therapy. 

Probably my EARLIEST memory is standing at the bus stop with my mom. I was probably 3 or 4, and we were probably headed off to daycare so my mama could work. I can’t be certain, but I think this was a “typical” activity, and the memory is quite simple: Holding hands, darkness around (these dark NW mornings!), and looking up to study my mom. Hi Mom!

I also distinctly remember watching my Grandpa Irv shaving in the mirror, probably thinking “What weird and wondrous things those adults do to themselves.”

In general, I remember endless fascination with watching people walk, wondering how seemingly similar bodies can move in such different ways. Some would swish, some glide, some wobble, some pound. Some moved their arms, some didn’t. Some looked like graceful dancers, some like soldiers, and others like who-even-knows-what.

This fascination lead to seeking out any opportunity to be around people who “moved differently”, because my growing nerd brain wanted to STUDY! Looking back, I have no doubt this is what lead me toward working in the special education classroom and Special Olympics in grade school, how I started down the path of biology and human science in high school and college, and why I am perfectly suited for Physical Therapy now.

 

Are your early memories predictive of what you do for a living or hobby now that you are all grown up?

Up next: If I Won the Lottery…?

Jeni Gall