Our most vivid memories seem to be about either the worst or best of times. But what about random, strange memories? Memories of moments that seem to have had little impact on our lives, yet like snapshots posted permanently on the bulletin board of our mind, are up for examination any time we want.

 

I know, I need to be specific. I’m not talking about memories that come from having viewed photographs of our younger selves. You know, the memories that aren’t actually memories of an event, but memories of a picture. I’m talking about true, and often, strange memories…like this one:

I couldn’t have been more than five years old. I was lying in my bed next to the window. I don’t remember if it night or if it was daytime and I was taking a nap, but I was dreaming. I was having a nightmare actually.

In my nightmare, a large ball was rolling towards me.

This was long before Indiana Jones and Raiders of the Lost Ark, but I swear it was exactly the same size ball that thundered down the tunnel almost crushing Harrison Ford.

I had the same dream three times in a row and each time, just before the ball crushed me, I woke up.

That’s it. That’s the memory. I guess I could classify it under one of my “worst of times” scenarios. However, there were no traumatic events happening in my life at the time, either before or after the dream. And I don’t recall having trouble falling asleep because of the dream. Yet, the memory of it has stayed with me to this day.

What about you? Any strange memories hanging around in your head?