Stories from the Stringam Family Ranches of Southern Alberta

From the 50s and 60s to today . . .



Sunday, November 4, 2012

Oh, to Remember!

Yep. Back then, the brain . . . worked.

The summer I was ten, my oldest sister, Chris, volunteered to run a summer day camp for the kids in Milk River.
We had a marvellous time.
Games. Treats. Crafts. Treats. Contests. Treats. Activities. More treats.
I was ten.
Anything to do with food took priority.
Hmm. Still does in fact.
Moving on . . .
Chris put heart and soul into the program.
There were no parameters laid out, so she had to come up with the guidelines and curriculum herself.
She did a wonderful job.
Part way through the summer, she decided that it would be fun if she got all of the kids involved in performing a play.
And not just any play.
The Wizard of Oz.
A fairly ambitious undertaking for a seventeen year old girl and her group of pre-teens.
First, she had to come up with a script.
That was all right, because our family had the story on an LP.
LP.
Go ahead. Google it. We'll wait . . .
And that's where I came in.
I had one talent as a child.
I could memorize.
If I listened to it once, I could pretty much give a detailed description.
If I listened to it a lot?
I could recite it.
With voice inflections and sound effects.
And that was what I did.
For three days, I recited and Chris wrote.
The entire hour-and-a-half of 'The Wizard of Oz'.
As it had been recorded.
We had our script . . .
I should mention here that we never got to perform our play.
We simply ran out of time.
But we learned something important.
If you wanted anything remembered, let Diane listen to it ad infinitum for a couple of days and it was there forever.
Word perfect.
This skill stayed with me for a while.
In fact, I played the lead some years later in 'The Rented Christmas', and memorized the entire play.
To the point that I served as the prompter.
On stage.
My point in telling you all of this is simply to reminisce.
And to lament.
I've been trying to figure out what I just had for breakfast.
I can't - for the life of me – remember.
Oh, for just a portion of that bygone talent!
Sigh.

16 comments:

  1. That must be an amazing talent to be able to memorize things like that... wow... I wish I had that, I wish I could remember yesterday, lol:)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wait until you start looking for your glasses which you just happen to be wearing. Talk to me then.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I bet you had a good breakfast. What more is there to remember?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's why I like keeping you nearby, Joanne! You are the voice of reason in my head!

      Delete
  4. Yes, I have an amazing memory too. I can recite Mad Magazine and Looney Tunes to infinity but I can't remember where I left my pliers until my wife asks me what I've got in my hand.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey! I can still recite those, too! And any other absolutely useless bits of trivia that have no possible use in the real world. And I never use pliers for just that reason!

      Delete
  5. Memories, light the corners of my mind.........
    Unfortunately, now the electricity in my mind sometimes flickers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bwahahahaha! Oh, that was a great one! Mine is definitely flickering!

      Delete
  6. I am so with you on this one. I really struggle to remember so many things and that the thought of memorizing something is actually scary. I do have a few scriptures down; but I have to say them over in my mind to retain them.
    I loved your story as usual. You are such a fun writer.
    Blessings for this one!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can remember exactly one scripture. And that is only because I memorized it put to music.(And this after teaching seminary for three-plus years . . .) :)

      Delete
  7. I have no trouble remembering my breakfasts. It's porridge, porridge, porridge...but lately I find myself wondering what it was I had for dinner last night. Did I eat well? Or did I eat junk so I should cook tonight?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't remember what it was. But I do remember it was eaten standing beside the sink. Because why set the table?! :)

      Delete
  8. I know where you're ability went! TO ME! That's EXACTLY what I do! Hee hee hee hee hee hee hee!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So true! Now if we could only remember IMPORTANT stuff . . .

      Delete

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