A long time ago, in a memory far, far away

My earliest memory is of me being held by someone (I don't know who) while looking out over a large room, possibly an auditorium while Star Wars is showing on a large screen. (Funny, that my memory includes Star Wars, since Natalie has never seen any of the films about the happenings of a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away--no, I'm not kidding). When I described this scene to my mom several years ago, she told me that it took place at Centerville Junior High. Our family, like all the others in the neighborhood, had been evacuated there during the legendary Flood of '83, that took place around May 30 through the first week of June. Although I don't remember water flowing down Pages Lane like a veritable river, I do recall sandbags lining the sidewalks.

There weren't very many pics online regarding the flood of '83. Guess people were thinking more about their lives, families, and property. But somebody had to have taken some shots...

This week marks 27 years since the deluge. While I am one to commemorate things that I deem to be important or memorable, that's not why I'm bringing this up. While playing with Jackson over the past several days--yes, I do get to spend a lot more time with him now that I'm not in school--I realized that he is exactly as old as I was when my first lasting memory was forged at nearly 22 months. I wonder what his earliest memories will include. Will they be the result of some trauma or extraordinary event like being evacuated in the night due to a flood? Or will they be of playing football with Dad or making pancakes with Mom? It's fun to think of what he'll remember and the ordinary things that, although perhaps not memorable, are still serving to build a foundation for his life.