What are the fondest memories of your life?

On a rock in an obscure corner of the universe, there lived some clever animals, preoccupied with their lives. After the universe had drawn a few breaths, the rock grew old and the clever animals had to die. This may have been just a moment for the universe, but for the animals, it was their entire life; and amidst the vast nihility of the universe, they had their little joys and sorrows to give meaning to their lives.

I feel that the one great thing that characterises humanity is the fond memories that they carry through their lives. Do you have any such memories which suddenly hit upon your mind, and strike a chord of serenity and tranquility among the hustle and bustle of our age? Any memory which paints a shade of colour on the canvas of your heart even in a dull and grey day? If any, there lies this thread to immortalise the fleeting experience. And I would be greatly delighted to know of such memories that you may have.

I'm just an old lady, drinking coffee and overthinking your post. However, I am grateful for the peaceful moments you have provided, so thank you.

When I was 3-5 years old, my parents owned a farm that had a large wooded area. To me, that place wasn't on Earth; it was our own private planet. I learned to not be afraid to get my hands dirty. I jumped into ponds without being afraid of what was under the water. I watched wild animals eat each other, and understood what nature was. And I was very unaware of what was happening in my parents' relationship, as I was so focused on the land around us.

My love for music came from afternoons spent dancing with my sisters. The 80s era (that I unfortunately missed by a few years) taught me to enjoy so many strange sounds, and that I could feel an inner vibration to anything that played. As a preteen/teenager, people shared music with me that I still listen to this day. To me, that was the most loving thing someone could share.

There was a moment during the births of my children, where I could tell myself I was strong.

I learned how easy I could convince myself that my lies were true, when I was binge drinking. Getting sober taught me it was okay to be honest, even if it hurt. It only hurts for a little while.

There have been a lot of circumstances over the years, that have had me question my worth. I've figured out that the things that do this, actually hold no relevance on my worth at all.

Glad to know about your experiences @Abstamyous !

Hmmm...

- Sept 1977 to Jun 1978. The year before skipped a grade
- July 2011 - spent a week at a resort on Jeju Island with a girl I used to know
- Oct 2017 to June 2018 - met girl that we never once argued with each other the whole time I knew her. She not around anymore.

That's about it.

Thanks @Unsigned and sorry to hear she's not around anymore

Not many people seem to have any fond memories, eh? I don't blame them; even I thought a lot, but couldn't come across any memories that I'm particularly fond of

But I've also not been around on Earth for long, so there's that...

mustachioed_badass_42 said:

Not many people seem to have any fond memories, eh? I don't blame them; even I thought a lot, but couldn't come across any memories that I'm particularly fond of

But I've also not been around on Earth for long, so there's that...

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It's a very good thread idea, in my opinion. You've to consider the number of active users, however, among other things, in contrast to how young this post is. heh. Might take some time.

I was thinking, to myself: "Do I have ANY fond memories that don't bring me sadness to recall, at this point in my life, with my current state of mind?" I've many fond memories. I know that.

The first thing that came to my mind, when asking myself the previous question, was when I would visit, as a young boy, the computer software store. It was a fairly small shop, in one of those strip malls adjacent to a major grocery store. Or maybe it was the one on the corner a little ways away that had all kinds of shareware software. Or, perhaps I'm thinking of the video rental store that had video games to rent.

Eitherway, I just recall moments like those: browsing through isles, almost like it was some sort of jungle. Row after row after row of possible adventure, after adventure, packaged into a colorful box, with graphics, enticing the would-be-buyer to pick it up, purchase it, and play away.

heh, I'm making myself sad now. Oh well.

Oh!! And I just recalled now, let me try to remember.. Joe Bob Briggs' when he used to host "Monstervision." I forget what channel it was on, but, they'd play all these goofy B movie horror flicks.

TropicalStarfish said:

It's a very good thread idea, in my opinion. You've to consider the number of active users, however, among other things, in contrast to how young this post is. heh. Might take some time.

I was thinking, to myself: "Do I have ANY fond memories that don't bring me sadness to recall, at this point in my life, with my current state of mind?" I've many fond memories. I know that.

The first thing that came to my mind, when asking myself the previous question, was when I would visit, as a young boy, the computer software store. It was a fairly small shop, in one of those strip malls adjacent to a major grocery store. Or maybe it was the one on the corner a little ways away that had all kinds of shareware software. Or, perhaps I'm thinking of the video rental store that had video games to rent.

Eitherway, I just recall moments like those: browsing through isles, almost like it was some sort of jungle. Row after row after row of possible adventure, after adventure, packaged into a colorful box, with graphics, enticing the would-be-buyer to pick it up, purchase it, and play away.

heh, I'm making myself sad now. Oh well.

Oh!! And I just recalled now, let me try to remember.. Joe Bob Briggs' when he used to host "Monstervision." I forget what channel it was on, but, they'd play all these goofy B movie horror flicks.

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Oh god yes.Loved my visit to Blockbusters.Good browse around all the obscure films I'd never seen before, leaving with at least two vids , nice chicken kebab/fish and chips,couple of stellas off back to my little teenage pit..ahhh days.

Also first kids mop of black hair emerging,sorry tmi , first two years dating , buying my first brand new motorbike ,the smell and sound of that two stroke heaven , pub nights after work when in the office in my 20's.Quite a few really but they a bit lost because of too much booze e.t.c

Just Games said:

Oh god yes.Loved my visit to Blockbusters.Good browse around all the obscure films I'd never seen before, leaving with at least two vids , nice chicken kebab/fish and chips,couple of stellas off back to my little teenage pit..ahhh days.

Also first kids mop of black hair emerging,sorry tmi , first two years dating , buying my first brand new motorbike ,the smell and sound of that two stroke heaven , pub nights after work when in the office in my 20's.Quite a few really but they a bit lost because of too much booze e.t.c

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Look you have to stop producing these interesting , fun , threads I was only supposed to be here for the holidays like whats his face...Beyond something ,I miss his posts

Playing ball games in the street with the neighborhood kids.

Am struggling with other fond memories because every time I start to think of something, I recall some unpleasant situation rearing its head, which then becomes the dominant memory.

I had the opportunity to watch the NY Pride Parade in person in 2019 It was absolutely, absolutely amazing, and will always be one of the best days of my life

A wonderful, wonderful snorkeling vacation to the Maldives last summer

I realize just now, how much film, how many wonderful movies I've seen in my life. Quite a lot.. Nearly every single one of them, an amazing adventure, an experience unto themselves, filled with comedy, tragedy, sadness, melancholy, hope, adventure, happiness, all of it...

So many wonderful experiences, full of feeling. Some of them shared experiences, many of them not, but somehow I don't think I ever quite felt alone through any of it.

Wonderful. I'm just in absolute awe at the idea of it.

How many talented, experienced, intricate, lives were inspired to write those scripts, produce those films, direct them, star in them, act in them... And the inspiration they were drawn from, or the imagination, and all the other lives that were touched by them.

I lived through those films, and they lived through me.

Some of the fondest memories of my life are tied to life’s little joys. The charm of fascinating women and the allure of their company. There’s something about the beauty of intimacy that’s just spot on, a connection that sticks with you.

Then there’s the guitar, strumming away, pouring my soul into the strings. Motorbikes, too, have given me a sense of freedom. Tearing down the open road with the wind in my face, feeling completely invincible it’s a proper rush, innit?

And oh, sunsets! Those breathtaking moments when the sky’s ablaze with colours, it’s like the universe is showing off. Yoga, on the other hand, keeps me grounded, proper sorted. Balancing the chaos with a bit of zen.

Girls, guitars, motorbikes, sunsets, and yoga, they’re the bits and bobs of my life that have made it a cracking ride.

It sounds sad...but gaming. Specifically, playing Final Fantasy 7 over summer January/February 1998 just before the first semester of university.

I'd had a crappy time at school, almost failed and was directionless. That game was an incredible escape from reality. (No I won't play the 3 installment remake....Square are a greedy corporate shell of themselves now.)

However it also kicked off my JRPG addiction, which didn't help things in the long run.

ardour said:

It sounds sad...but gaming. Specifically, playing Final Fantasy 7 over summer January/February 1998 just before the first semester of university.

I'd had a crappy time at school, almost failed and was directionless. That game was an incredible escape from reality. (No I won't play the 3 installment remake....Square are a greedy corporate shell of themselves now.)

However it also kicked of my JRG addiction, which didn't help things in the long run.

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That doesn’t sound sad at all. Some of my fondest memories revolve around gaming too. I remember playing the Ultima series (specifically Ultima IV) on our Apple computer as a kid. It sparked my love of the fantasy genre and RPG games. I love that feeling of being immersed in an alternate world, it’s a wonderful escape from reality.

No words, just picture ( not mine ) .... But I have bunch of memories like those in picture. I used to have childhood gaming friend in late 1990s , and we spent tons of time on PS1.

When I was 21 I cruised around Ethiopia with my friend for almost a year recording music and meeting people. We only had $1800 between us the whole time and everything now, looking back, I remember fondly, even though I remember kicking doors, getting punched, almost being arrested... I think it was hard, and largely unpleasant for a lot of it, on our last day we ran out of money and got stuck in the country bc I had let my visa expire. But it was all like a dream, and is part of the story of my life that I tell myself about who I am, or was. You're right about that for sure @mustachioed_badass_42

Everything hard I've ever done I look back at fondly, even when I failed. My company failed, multiple relationships, so many writing rejections... I think the fondness comes from knowing I tried, and the experiences were 'worth' the effort just because they were experiences. Even all the things I looked back on with cringe I feel grateful for, just because those are places to root the narrative, MY narrative, while I'm still alive. I don't know if it's meaning necessarily, but it's story. And everybody likes a good story right?

Deeply mired in grief over the death of my cat right now, but I had a handful of mornings in the last two years where I woke up with her and the sunrise in my eyeballs, and had the deepest pangs of gratitude for all of the searching and trying that led us/ me to that morning. Those moments of clarity and gratitude are going to be what I remember for the rest of my life. I was there. And now I'm here. And now, I'm here.

The memories and the fondness are cool but it's the moments, the singular instances that are gone in a breath, that mean anything to me. Being fully in them while they were happening, which for me never really happened until those mornings I'm talking about, is the greatest gift I can think of about being alive.