All night, the gentle rain

[rejectomorph]

Let me see . . . .
When was the first time I was aware of rain? Surely, there were days in the first house when I was not allowed outside because of the rain, but I don't remember them. At school, kindergarten, first grade, I remember being kept in the classroom for lunch because of the rain. But, again, I don't have an image of the rain itself in my mind. And there must have been times when we were out, shopping in Alhambra or Los Angeles, when it began to rain. I don't remember them.

There are a few early images of rain in my mind, but which is the earliest, I don't know. I recall seeing rain on La Brea Avenue as I looked out the second floor window of our doctor's office. I recall looking out the window at the back of the house in the hills and seeing the water running along the base of the rock wall. And I remember one day, riding in the car along south Broadway, watching pedestrians rush for cover in a sudden downpour, and the traffic signals reflected in the wet pavement.

How old was I? Six, at least, if the memory from the house on the hill was earliest. Probably no more than five, if it was one of the others. I suppose that it isn't strange that I have lost any earlier memories of rain. Most of my memories fade out about that time. And I suppose there are people whose memories go back farther than mine, and probably many whose memories start much later. I suppose it is enough that the imprint of those experiences remain with me, remembered or not, making their contribution to the response I have to this rain tonight. They must have been enjoyable experiences. Listen to the downspout purr!

Comments

[paul.livejournal.com]

My first memory of rain is the earliest memory I have. I remember waiting for my Dad to come home from work on a really stormy night, I was worried because he was out with the plough and it looked a totally shite day here, so it would have been even worse in the snow. I must have been about 4 or 5 I guess then, sometimes I have flashbacks in my sleep of earlier memories, certainly one of me steering our tractor when I was 4 or so, but I can't be sure.

[rejectomorph]

Ah, so you grew up on a farm?

Yes, it is difficult to date early memories, or to tell in what order they should go. The earliest memory which I can date is of me hiding in the tall grass of the vacant lot next to our house one morning about three months before my fifth birthday. I can date it because it was my first day of school, and a very rude awakening to the consciousness of time.

Re:

[paul.livejournal.com]

I grew up right next to a farm, but we had a tractor, Dad cut down all the dead tree's around here and we would cut them up and burn them on the fire, I remember being scared by the noise the sawbench made, if you had a bit tree to cut it would go on all day and I hated it.

I can't remember my first day at school, in fact I can't remember any of my school life up until I was in about the 3rd year, and even then it is patchy.

[rejectomorph]

I can recall quite a bit about my earliest years in school, and a lot of it I wish I couldn't; being scolded by teachers, being intimidated by bigger kids, one time breaking my thermos bottle and then being worried all day about what my parents would do to me, once getting on the wrong bus after school and thinking that I would never get home again . . . those early years of school are so full of traumatic experiences, you're probably lucky not to remember them.

Re:

[paul.livejournal.com]

I missed the bus so many times, luckily the school was only 2 miles from home, I'd just trudge home, sodden wet. I went off with friends so much my parents would presume if I wasn't on the bus home I was at a friends, until I turned up 2 hours later looking lost and confused.

[scottobear.livejournal.com]

beautiful entry. :)

thank you for sharing it.