I’ve been reading a remarkable book by Ojibway storyteller, Richard Wagamese. Recently published, One Native Life, is a memoir about roots and the power of recollection to heal. For anyone contemplating the writing of their own story or the story of another, I can’t think of a better book to inspire you.
I was struck by a passage that made me realize how sound and light can be triggers for recalling forgotten memories. Wagamese writes,
The more I presented myself to the land in those early hours, the more it offered me back the realization of who I was created to be.
I began to remember. The sound of squirrels in the topmost branches of a pine tree reminded me of a forgotten episode from my boyhood; the wobbly call of the loons took me back to an adventure on the land when I was a young man. And there was always the light. The shades and degrees of it evoked people and places I hadn’t thought about in decades. Every one of those walks allowed me the grace of recollection, and I began to write things down.
For me the lonely blast of a foghorn, the wild call of geese flying south and the pounding surf on a rocky beach are just a few of the sounds that can evoke strong memories of my childhood on the rugged West Coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. What are some of the sounds that trigger memories for you?
Wagamese’s book has made me consider other ways our memories can be triggered. Here are a few:
- Smell. One of the strongest memory triggers for me is the smell of baking bread . My mother always baked bread and today all I need is a whiff of freshly baked bread to take me back to some fond childhood memories. What odors evoke memories in you?
- Photographs. Bring out the old photos and within minutes people will begin telling you the stories behind the images.
- Music. We all have a song or two that can trigger vivid memories. One of mine is Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ In The Wind.” I was a university student at the time this was popular and it became something of an anthem for me then. What’s your song?
- A favorite object. Everyone has a favorite object. And every object has a story to be told. Do you have a favorite object?
- A favorite childhood place. This can be a place that was indoors or outdoors, rural or urban, fanciful or spiritual. What’s the story behind your favorite place?
When writing, keep in mind these powerful ways to tap into the rich treasury of memories that lie just below the surface of our awareness.
Photo by Micky
