As I get older, my sense of time seems to be slipping away, causing me to get things mixed up in my head. As an example, I regularly think of events that happened 20 years ago as having taken place in the same time frame as something that happened 5 years ago. It's as if my mind is lumping all my past experiences together. I can figure out a chronology of events if I really think about it, but the distance between their happening is totally lost.
Which makes looking at old photos a real challenge.
While at my sisters house this past weekend, I found this picture of me...
It's Betty Crocker SuperMoist... there's pudding in the mix!
Noting the skinny tie and digital watch that I'm wearing, I'm guessing this was taken in the mid 1980's. Given the location, I'm thinking it's probably 1986. And that means it was 23 years ago, which seems impossible. I remember those times as if they were yesterday but, in reality, they were an eternity ago.
Reconciling these two conflicting perspectives is enough to make my brain explode if I dwell on it long enough.
And so I try not to.
Cute! I was totally a NAMBLA wet dream!
So far, the denial has been working out quite well for me.
Which totally explains if I show up at TequilaCon wearing a T-shirt, tighty-whiteys, and a pair of tiger slippers.
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If you show up wearing that outfit you won’t be going back to your room alone. Not that you probably will anyway, I hear you’re quite the manhoor!
I get this too, usually reality sinks in once you hear a song and you think hmmm that came out in 198? and then you do the calculation… then you realize that yesterday was a long long time ago..
GO TIMEX IRONMAN watches. they were bad ass back in the day. I think i still have my circa ’80’s Ironman watch… 😀
MeOWRRRRR!
I love the last picture. If you show up at TC wearing the same thing, someone better take a picture!
Also, I hear you on the time confusion. I cannot keep track of time anymore, either. It’s easy if I go by songs, for some reason.
OMG, look how cute you are! Lil’ Toddler Dave!
My problem is that I remember things from 20 years ago like they were yesterday, but I can’t remember what actually HAPPENED yesterday. Of course, that could be the drinking.
LOVE the pictures!
Is the announcement that you’re going to show up in tighty whities going to draw more or less of a crowd to Tequilacon?
As for mental time lapsing, the same thing has been happening to me lately. Recalling things from what is, in a calendar sense, a long time ago, but feels so much more recent. Although I never wore a skinny tie.
Skinny ties are out? Shit.
Okay, maybe a little hair gel for you, eh?? As for the cake-eating ceremony, I would so totally have done you. ….is that okay to say on this rated G blog????
I do the same kind of thing, only I think something happened a few months ago and it was really a few years ago.
And please, there is NO WAY 1986 was 23 years ago. Please?
I’m always having a problem reconciling the fact that I look any older than I did 20 years ago. Yeah, I know…I totally do.
You’re cute throughout the ages but you knew that already! 😉
I started reading “grownup” stuff in the ’70s. Discussion of events set in the ’50s or ’40s seemed like ancient history but more time has elapsed since I originally had those thoughts than between the events themselves and the words I’d read. I guess what I’m trying to say is: we’re getting really freakin’ old, dude!
At my age, 70+, my response would be “Tell me about it”. Been there, done that, can’t remember. 😀
Does this mean that the nasty rumor that you might not attend TC is dead? Or did I just imagine that rumor in the first place?
In the last picture it totally looks like you’re taking a dump. Just sayin’.
When I saw that top pic, I immediately thought your clothes looked like my bro’s in high school. He graduated in ’87, so 1986 sounds right on to me.
I’m pretty good at remembering when stuff happened and the like, but the catch now is that my parents have changed several of the stories about family and their pasts they told me years ago. And, of course, have no recollection of having told me differently. Makes it hard to know what’s true.
Dave:
Great pictures, is that your grandmother in the background giving you the stink eye? Good stuff but I just saw a guy the other day sporting a thin tie. The way fashion seems to be recycling at an alarming rate who can keep anything straight!
I’m just glad the man half shirt and exposed crack look has not become popular. I’m tired of seeing lady crack the last thing I need to see is that of a man.
No… not my grandmother. Though I do have a photo of her on Flickr.
I so would have had a crush on you in the 80s.
I can remember timelines pretty well, but then when I do the math and realize that something happened 20+ years ago I freak out a little. It can’t be that long ago, but it is. Man I’m getting old…
Great pictures Dave. Having turned 37 yesterday I know what you mean by things feeling like it was just yesterday. Scary when I count back the number of years since I graduated.
As for the second picture, that looks how I feel in the morning
I have an outfit just like that one (the second one, I gave away all my skinny ties years ago).
Dang it. I was going to wear that exact same outfit to TequilaCon.
Sigh.
Check out that skinny tie. I used to wear those. And bullet ties, too (even though I was never country or cowboy)
An amendment to my previous comment inspired by my experience yesterday: Though I’m good with remembering dates, it’s not the same as what I’ve come to think of as “emotional memory.” I may intellectually know something occurred 20 years ago, but at the same time it can be hard to believe that much time has passed.
Trying to catch up . . .
I was so glad you put this into words. I experience the same thing more and more. It’s disturbing.
Also, those are such cute pictures. Cute, cute, cute.
Cute pics of you!! That last one cracks me up.