The Paradox of Memory

I went to high school like 100 years ago, and elementary school over 200 years ago; or so it seems. For the 'older' generation trying to call up memories of how and when you learned to read and/or write is not such a simple task. As a child of the 60's I have damaged more than a few brain cells through the use of chemical intoxicants during my youth and into my 40's. I fear that many of my memories have been drowned or smoked out. And to top it off, the older I get, the older my parents get, thus the problem of memory becomes doubled because they don't remember what I've forgotten.I empathize with Cheryl and any other classmate who finds this assignment emotionally difficult. Even though it has been some of the hardest writing I've ever done, it has also been some of the best and most rewarding. I now realize how important it is to keep track of your own life events through writing, because memories fade, they are sometimes too painful to think about after the fact, and you can't rely on anyone else to remember for you. Just some thoughts from an old lady struggling to put the pieces together.