I think it’s interesting to ask people about their earliest memories. They are usually talk about ordinary things, like a favorite toy or pet, a trip to the beach, or the first days of school. Not for me. My earliest memories are about things I still can’t explain, and remain strong in detail and feeling, compared to memories of going to kindergarten or my first friends.
From what I understand, although it’s not unusual for an adult to remember events from when they were 3 or 4 years old, most of us don’t remember things clearly before 5-7 years old. I would argue, however, that some things stand out clearly from a young age.
I was born in Southern California, and my family lived there until I completed first grade. One of my earliest memories, around 3 years old, is waking up in the middle of the night and getting out of bed to go to my parents’ room. I was afraid of the dark (for good reason) and went to their room often. On one particular night, I’d made it a few feet from my bed when I felt hands on my shoulders. The pressure wasn’t super heavy, but it wasn’t a light touch either. I can still feel that pressure when I think of this moment. It’s as if there was an adult standing behind me, and they had put their hands on my shoulders. I remember just standing there, feeling the touch. Curiously, I didn’t scream and I don’t recall being afraid. Maybe I was too asleep to have processed much. Maybe I was actually frozen in fear. But after a brief moment, the pressure went away and I toddled into my parents’ bed.
I’ve thought about this moment a lot. I’m not sure what to make of it. I’m intrigued by the absence of fear, especially given scary moments I write about in other posts. Was this a reassuring presence like a spirit guide or a guardian angel? Why did it pick that moment to make its presence known? I know that I will never really know what happened in that moment, but I do know that it’s my earliest paranormal memory. And the first of a life time of odd experiences.