The Memory Box



some of these symbols adorn my memory box



I see it there before me, this box of memories. I know when I open it, there will be so many memories that will come to the surface of my mind. When I decoupaged it (circa 1969) there were magazine cuttings from fashion to famous people on it. I took a lot of time deciding just what to put on it, because I wanted to save it for my future children and grandchildren.

Slowly I open the lid, the smell of old flowers filling the air. That is what I reach for first. I have a carnation given to me for Valentines Day from my first boyfriend in high school. I remember how sweet he was, and how shy when giving me that pink carnation. He really was such a nice guy. I have memories of him walking me to class, with his arm around me, always watching for the 'touching police' so as to not be caught touching each other on campus. Anyway, all through 9th grade I had to wear a brace that went around my mid section, for some back problem I had. It was embarrassing to me, but he made light of it, and made me feel like I wasn't weird because of it.

There is also a dried mum, with white and gold streamers on it, which came down to my knees. It said: Lanier Vikings Homecoming 1969 in gold glitter. There is a little golden band from a hat I wore being part of the Valkyries or Vikettes, the pep squad from Lanier.

There are ribbons that I used to wear in my hair, and little braided leather bands that served as 'sandals', a bottle of patchouli oil, and lots of torn tickets from the Sunday afternoon Hill of the Moon concerts, held on Howard Lane out I17. I have such fond memories of all the bands we heard and just dancing and dancing and dancing all afternoon. Not a care in the world, just being free to dance.

There is a stack of instant Polaroids, of my girl friends from high school. I got the instant camera for Christmas one year and tried to make sure I had a photo of everyone to go into my memory box. For some reason it was really important to place things in this box. When I think of it now, it was sort of what we would call a time capsule that is popular in today's world.

There are ticket stubs from the State Theater and the Paramount too.

There is a bus ticket in there from when I was 11 years old. That's a good story for Black History month.

How I remember Janice

There is a mood ring in there from my right hand when I shook Janis Joplin's hand as she went back into Armadillo world to sing. I remember sitting on the back of someone's car, listening to the bands play, and here comes Janis with some guys, and she waved at us, walked over and thanked us for appreciating 'good music'. We laughed and she walked in and within a few minutes we heard her singing. There definitely were perks to growing up in Austin, Texas.

There are my personal diaries, each once pink with a lock on the outside. Whew, the stories they contain....

There's an empty bottle of Andre Pink Champagne in there, and a photo of boy I drank it with who is the birth father of my oldest son. I remember sitting out in his back yard drinking the champagne and watching fireworks go off in the sky from the neighborhoods surrounding his house. It was New Year's Eve 1970. We watched 1971 dawn together, still in what we thought was love.

There are my annuals from High School.

Everything I saved from my high school days are in this memory box.

Lots and lots of memories, some funny, some sad, some just to acknowledge that events happened.

I close the box, put it back on the shelf, walk away with a sigh of....that's what it was like to be in high school.

The year is 1972....I was living in an apartment with my boyfriend at the time, it was the last time I would see that box of memories.

We moved to Huntsville, Texas to attend Sam Houston State University, but when we unpacked everything, the box was gone. When asked, my boyfriend said he threw it in the dumpster back in Austin. He said such nonsense wasn't needed, since he was 'my life' now.

Well, he might have thrown the box away, but he can't take the memories away. They are kept secure in a decoupaged box, filed away in a corner of my mind.