Share a Positive Memory from your Past

[justanothershyguy]

The idea of this thread is simple. Share something that makes you smile. Hopefully, in turn, it will brighten someone's day and inspire them to post.

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I don't remember much of my paternal grandmother, but one of my most favorite memories of her was spending Saturday afternoons with her and my grandfather. I would help her bake and in turn would get fed. Best yet, she was really good at Super Mario and Duck Hunt, thus the video game nerd in me was born. Even though she's no longer with us, she will always bring a smile to my face, because that's what I remember best from hers. Love you and miss you, grandma.

[Falcon16]

...going fly fishing with my dad along a beautiful mountain stream in N. Carolina before he became ill and died, 19 years ago...

[G-Lexington]

I had a pizza about ten minutes ago.

Lex

[Stoowii]

The day I got my driver's license 11 years ago. Freedom. First step towards independence.

Got in the car and put on my Destiny's Child CD. First song on the CD: "Independent Women." Couldn't be more perfect.

♪All the women ♫

Yep.

♪We independent. ♫

Yas!



*THROWING THEM UP*

Oop, hold on, sis, put them back on that steering wheel.

[Kiwils]

When I used to work at a pre-school, there was this one little kid that I got really attached to. Actually, I got attached to most of them and realized that job wasn't for me, but that kid especially. XD Anyways, I loved everything about this kid. He had the most adorable smile and laugh (and just expressions in general), so I would always try my best to get him to smile and laugh. He would give me a hug everytime he came in and before he left. Whenever we had field trips, he would always come with me and hold my hand, even if he was assigned another chaperone. I think the best thing was just how he looked at me with those sweet innocent eyes. Never have I felt more fulfilled and appreciated in my life than in that moment. It made me realize that I wanted kids of my own some day.

I already got some good practice for the infant/newborn stage with my nephew. I'm ready! /flex

[eastofeden]

1978...me and my best friend camped out all night and when we got there the line was already around the block to get tickets to see Bette Midler on New Years Eve at Bimbos. I remember being really happy that I was gay and thinking about how horrible it must be to be straight and not even realize Bette existed., Of course...the next near came The Rose and everyone figured out who she was and sadly I think she lost a bit of her edge...so I was glad to see her before that happened.

[star-warrior]

We had a beautiful lady french teaching assistant when I was 13/14 and after one lesson where we had to read out loud she came up to me and said my accent in french was quite good. It made me feel on top of the world, coming from a native.

[justanothershyguy]

At Christmas of 2011, my brother's girlfriend came to visit from Poland. My parents, brother, her and I all got to enjoy the holiday together. We went and saw Christmas lights around town, saw a light show coordinated to music, and pretty much got to enjoy life. My brother proposed to her last week so I am super excited to be able to call her my sister-in-law. She's the best thing to ever happen to him!

[G-Lexington]

Two completely unrelated stories.

I ran into a band several years ago. They were new, playing a basement bar in front of forty people. But I really liked them. I introduced myself, befriended them, and got to know them. Jump ahead three or four years. They're now playing a slightly larger venue - Red Rocks Amphitheater. 10,000 seat outdoor venue. Sold out. I'm backstage because, well, they can do that for me. They launch into their last song - a heartfelt number. And 10,000 people start singing. The guitarist stops playing, puts his guitar down, and steps o the front of the stage to listen. The drummer stops playing, puts down his sticks, and walks to the front of the stage to join him. Soon, the entire band is standing there, not playing. Just listening to 10,000 people singing their song back to them. Every one of them had tears running down his face. As did I.

Somewhere in an old photo album is an off-color Polaroid. Instagram likes to through green filters onto photos, but this one just seems to have no reds in it rather than a green tinge. I'm kneeling on the sidewalk in front of my house next to my father. My dad is wearing a plain white T-shirt and old corduroy pants. This was his regular outfit for doing sweaty work - washing the car, gardening, whatever. And sitting on the ground in front of us us is a red "cherry ball" (which looks grey in the crappy Polaroid shot). It's a playground ball about eight inches in diameter. And I remember that day.

Foursquare was a popular game at the time - and it's still around, apparently. We played a modified game called twosquare for two players if you couldn't get four. I loved the game and would pkay it every chance I could. I don't know what happened that day - my brother was off with his friends, and none of my friends were handy, perhaps. So my father took time out from whatever he was doing, and offered to play with me. I seem to recall he had some trouble remembering the rules - it seems kids "get" payground rules so much quicker than adults. But he gave it a go anyway. I don't recall how long we played and who won, but it doesn't matter. We had fun. And my mother came out and took a picture.

I never asked my father to play twosquare again. I think even at age eight, I knew it was a favor for me more than a real love of the game. But I appreciated it all these years.

Lex

[ronboy]

In 2002, I went on a three day vacation with my parents to Virginia.
At the time, Dave, my BF, encouraged me to go because my Mom had just recovered from a heart ailment and if she felt good enough to travel, seize the moment...
We went to Mt. Vernon, and that afternoon, on George Washington's back porch overlooking the Patuxent River, we sat in wooden rocking chairs, for a few moments. It was epic. I was at the home of the first US President, sitting on the same porch where he and Martha sat, and sharing it with my parents.

My Mom passed away in December 2002.

[Scealle]

Hmm well 4 years back I was very happy when I finally get enrolled in art school. I was pretty excited and my first year of college is probably the most happiest time of my college life. Even though it's pretty hectic I met a lot of interesting people. Sadly most of them didn't contact me anymore Also got my first pair of skates around the time I entered college and needless to say it felt
ammmazing~ probably one of my happiest times around 18 as it's kinda like a childhood ream of mine My 2nd year and 3rd year is quite depressing and frustrating so it's a different story.

[cgymike]

I had a pizza about ten minutes ago.

Lex

Ok but did it digest without incident?

[justanothershyguy]

I've always enjoyed the fresh air and some of my most cherished memories from college include playing Ultimate frisbee in an open field on a Saturday morning. Was always fun!

[ozguy]

Some really touching stories here. Thanks for sharing them!

Being at the birth of my first son was an amazing experience. Seeing and holding this perfect little wet, wriggley, wrinkley pink being for the very first time, realizing that my DNA contributed to his making and feeling the love that I felt at that moment, was an almost overwhelming experience. I burst into tears and was sobbing and shaking so much they had to take the baby off me because they thought I might drop him!

[travis82]

The idea of this thread is simple. Share something that makes you smile. Hopefully, in turn, it will brighten someone's day and inspire them to post.

---------

I don't remember much of my paternal grandmother, but one of my most favorite memories of her was spending Saturday afternoons with her and my grandfather. I would help her bake and in turn would get fed. Best yet, she was really good at Super Mario and Duck Hunt, thus the video game nerd in me was born. Even though she's no longer with us, she will always bring a smile to my face, because that's what I remember best from hers. Love you and miss you, grandma.

Thanks for sharing your story.

My late paternal grandfather is probably the best grandfather in the world. He's not rich but he always gave some money to all his grandkids( including me) whenever we visited him every weekend.

I was just a little boy at that time. And me and my cousins will always pester him to bring us to the nearby toy store to buy toys for us.

And always without fail, he would bring all his little grandchildren to the nearby toy store, and spent money on toys for us.

I feel so bad and awful thinking about this, because he was quite poor. Yet he was willing to give away his money and buy toys for his grandchildren.

He's gone now. But I think about him often and I miss him dearly.

[travis82]

Hmm well 4 years back I was very happy when I finally get enrolled in art school. I was pretty excited and my first year of college is probably the most happiest time of my college life. Even though it's pretty hectic I met a lot of interesting people. Sadly most of them didn't contact me anymore Also got my first pair of skates around the time I entered college and needless to say it felt
ammmazing~ probably one of my happiest times around 18 as it's kinda like a childhood ream of mine My 2nd year and 3rd year is quite depressing and frustrating so it's a different story.

I can kinda relate how you feel. College can be fun and depressing at times.

You encounter all kinds of people at college.

I didn't have many friends at college....and after graduation, everybody just go their own separate ways.

I guess it's called moving on. People move on, they have their own lives, their own careers, they get married and start their own family.

Well, I don't really keep in contact with my college friends, but I do see them on facebook.

[loveguys72]

Most of my best memories involve my dad. He loved to go for long drives, and I loved going with him, since you never knew where you'd end up or what you might see. One Saturday, we started driving up the coast. We drove and drove and drove and before we knew it, we were in San Francisco with nothing but the clothes on our backs. No problem! We hit a local mall, got some clothes and stuff, and the next day we spent the whole day seeing San Francisco. I think we got back home in the small hours of Monday morning.

Another time, I was just 16 and finally got my driver's licence. Naturally, I looked for any chance to drive. Most days, I'd stop by Dad's work after school, pick up the car, then go back to pick him up when his shift was over. One evening, I stopped off for gas on the way to get Dad, and some guy gave me two tickets to that night's Dodger game. When I showed Dad, he just bought us both a couple cheap windbreakers there at the store, and we were off to the ball game. He even let me drive there and back.

He was really the best dad ever. I still miss him every day.

[justanothershyguy]

My favorite vacation spot of all time has always been to my grandparents cabin. The worst part of it is the 6+ hour trip to get there, and my biggest fear is that after I start up my life, I won't get to visit it again. I never liked swimming in the lake (for some reason the muddy/murky water has always freaked me out... that and I believe my brother told me that snapping turtles lived in the lake), but fishing was always fantastic and it was amazing to be outside. I loved being able to lay down in the boat and just fall asleep outside, without having to worry about anything (even though as a kid, I had no worries like I do now). It's a fantastically amazing place and I hope I that I will be able to find time to get up there if I do move away.

[crimsonpaine]

My grandma was my best friend, and many occasions partner in crime , I will always remember how we would sit at the kitchen table talking, we'd start at 8 in the morning and before we knew it was 5 in the afternoon and we both got absolutely nothing done that day. It was great working from home. We'd talk about anything and everything.

We'd do it all over again the next day too.

I miss her everyday!

[PreTTy PeTe]

waking up when my mom was making biscotti at christmas.

omg it was awesome.

[maxpowr9]

Being a camp leader at an overnight camp was one of the most rewarding things ever that lead to me wanting to become an RA at my college which leads into one of the worst parts of my life coincidentally. Seriously, that camp was a slice of heaven.

[peeonme]

It was 1960 or 61, I was playing in a large field across the road from our mobile home, I saw my dad's '56 Mercury coming and headed
home to wash up for dinner, it was summer, the sun was out and only a few clouds were in the blue sky.
As I approached our home I could smell liver and onions cooking (one of my favorite meals).
For me that day life was perfect.

[Alistair]

When I was a little kid, only around 4 years old, my dad was outside washing his car. I picked up the hose and accidentally sprayed him. I didn't even know what the nozzle did. He got mad and started chasing me around the car, about three or four times. I ran fast. my mom was working in the garden and ran too her. She had saw what happened and was laughing so hard she was almost crying. My dad so her and stopped and realized how funny it was and laughed a little too.

It was my earliest memory, and I have never lived it down. 38 years later if I'm around my dad when he's using a hose someone will always say something about keeping the hose away from me.

[PreTTy PeTe]

Last year during Pride I ran into an old friend who is HIV+
We hugged so much.

I had thought he had died because he disappeared and no heard from him in years.
He had his reasons, but that is not going to happen anymore.

[justanothershyguy]

This past fall I flew for the first time- as a part of a trip to Poland for my brother's wedding. I can barely begin to describe how amazing of a time it was. We visited Warsaw and did a lot of touristy things. It was great!! I would be happy if that was the only memory I had of Poland- but not satisfied. I certainly want to go back!

The wedding itself was amazing. If you've never been to or heard of a Polish wedding, there are three things that go down: eating, dancing, and drinking. I will never be able to match the amount of Vodka that entered my system over that two-day period and still remember it all. That was why there was so much eating & drinking. Overall it was just a phenomenal time.

I would definitely recommend to anyone if they had the chance!

[medic1]

My passing out parade in The Royal Air Force.

After weeks of square-bashing, and getting yelled at by the drill instructors. I was only 18, but i felt like a man.

[star-warrior]

We had a beautiful French student teacher in our French class back in the mid 80's. We had to do some reading, and she walked up to me when the lesson was over and told me my accent was good! Made my day coming from a native.