The Brain's Time Warp
This morning I was reading an article on a fitness website about morning routines that fit women should be doing regularly. One of them was take a hike. The article said that on a weekend a walk in nature to start the day can be uplifting and invigorating.
I thought this was a good idea. I started to consider where I could best find nature close to home. I imagined myself walking out the door onto Meadow Street. It's a pretty, tree-lined street, but it's near the middle of town. I might need to go a bit farther to see some real nature. It would only be a 5 minute drive to the Marsh Lands Conservancy though? What about this coming weekend?
I took a few seconds to review the plan in my head. Then something occurred to me.
I don't live on Meadow Street anymore and I haven't lived there in almost 20 years.
Isn't it strange how no matter how old I am, and how long I have lived as an adult with my husband in my current home, I still use my childhood home as a frame of reference? Does it make sense? I lived there almost 20 years. I have lived in my current residence for 15 years. The years I spent in my old home were formative, and the place and the neighborhood are well imprinted on my memory. I still feel it odd that I go there in my mind as if I still live there.
Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night, convinced I'm in my childhood bedroom. It doesn't matter if I had been dreaming of my childhood or not. I just believe I'm there.
It makes me wonder where I will think I am when I'm elderly and losing my mind. (Dementia runs in my family, so I am not assured in any way I will escape it.) Will my mind travel back to Meadow Street, or will it travel to the Regatta Condo? Maybe it will be convinced I'm in wherever I will live after the Regatta Condo (if I ever do live anyplace else).
I thought this was a good idea. I started to consider where I could best find nature close to home. I imagined myself walking out the door onto Meadow Street. It's a pretty, tree-lined street, but it's near the middle of town. I might need to go a bit farther to see some real nature. It would only be a 5 minute drive to the Marsh Lands Conservancy though? What about this coming weekend?
I took a few seconds to review the plan in my head. Then something occurred to me.
I don't live on Meadow Street anymore and I haven't lived there in almost 20 years.
Isn't it strange how no matter how old I am, and how long I have lived as an adult with my husband in my current home, I still use my childhood home as a frame of reference? Does it make sense? I lived there almost 20 years. I have lived in my current residence for 15 years. The years I spent in my old home were formative, and the place and the neighborhood are well imprinted on my memory. I still feel it odd that I go there in my mind as if I still live there.
Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night, convinced I'm in my childhood bedroom. It doesn't matter if I had been dreaming of my childhood or not. I just believe I'm there.
It makes me wonder where I will think I am when I'm elderly and losing my mind. (Dementia runs in my family, so I am not assured in any way I will escape it.) Will my mind travel back to Meadow Street, or will it travel to the Regatta Condo? Maybe it will be convinced I'm in wherever I will live after the Regatta Condo (if I ever do live anyplace else).
Comments
Post a Comment