New Word

I've had this floating around in my head for quite a while now and I've mentioned it to a couple of people as well.

Do you have an image that is evocative of a specific time or place? Something around which things may be clouded but that image just resonates in your mind? A significant event that has an image which you have pinpointed in time, that encapsulates what was happening at the time?
Now for me, these are usually times of great joy or a profound awareness that brings a feeling of contentment/satisfaction perhaps, or it's a personal moment of great emotional value.

All set, OK here it is - memorimage, its an image yes but it is more than that because the memories that surround that image, the thoughts that surround the image, the emotions that surround that image, the sight, the sound, the taste, the smell. All combine to present you with something that is so much more than just an image, so much more than just a memory it's a memorimage!

The memorimage of my first born daughter, combined with a feeling of awe and wonder, combined with relief at the success of the birth, combined with relief that the health of my sweet wife was not compromised. It/she's a girl! she's healthy, she's wonderfully alive, and I am a part of her she is a part of me! Wow!

The memorimage of sitting on the porch of a house on Lawson Road, talking with my big Sister, going on til 3 in the morning. Bit of a story here, BigSis and hubby were on the way back from somewhere out West, they were going to be living in Ontario for awhile and it had been a long time since I'd seen them. I decided that I'd drive out to where they were going to be coming off the highway and wait for them. It was probably 11 pm or so when I decided this, we'd been tracking them on their return to Ontario so we had a reasonable idea of when they were going to be arriving back here. So there I am 11 pm at night sitting in my car just off the off ramp from the highway waiting, and waiting, and waiting. Then there they were, I knew what car they were driving so I started the car pulled a "ue" "youee" (how do you spell the colloquial short form for a U-turn?) and followed, BigSis saw the maneuver, and not knowing that I was waiting, told her hubby, "That's my brother". Pretty cool eh? Anyway that is another one of my favourite memorimages.

The memorimage of Lifewife's face, dimly seen late one evening, on the 21st floor of her sisters apartment building as she said Yes and so began our life together, her smile, her yes, so sweetly spoken, my inability to wipe the grin off my face. Ahh, sweet, sweet memorimage. 40 Years we've known each other, this year 34 years married.

The memorimage of D2's face when she was telling me that she was "going out" with S1. Some history that doesn't bear repeating, with this guy, and based on the history, my warnings to her about him.

--Cogito interruptus
You know there is something remarkably enabling to be able to look back and say "Yup, I was wrong"
--Cogito resumptum

How wonderfully wrong I was, if you've had a chance to read my first post I express myself about him there. D2's Mom had sent her downstairs and had told her you'd better talk to your Dad, D2's apprehension (probably somewhat justified) but I like to think I handled myself well in that situation, I didn't freak out or anything, I think I spoke calmly and reasonably.

--Cogito interruptus
I've heard and seen too many situations where, the thought has been expressed, "If only I'd said something..." I was determined that I didn't want to have to live with those kind of regretful thoughts.
--Cogito resumptum

Now as I said earlier, I was wrong about this guy. Thankfully. But to get back to the memorimage, D2's face, respectful and yet quietly insistent that she was aware and confident in her judgment of him.

The memorimage of D3, standing beside the gurney I was on, me drifting in and out of a morphine haze, her smile, full of love and calming somehow, stroking my arm, just her being there, smiling down at me with love, ahh man, what a wonderful person she is. Then, hearing some of things the Dr.'s were saying and in some dark recess of my mind thinking, if I'm going, she shouldn't be here, not really knowing how serious it was, and really really not wanting her to go away.

The memorimage of D1, multiple memorimages of her strength and courage, her tenacity, her indefatigable zest to be. Just simply to be, her desire to grow, learn, inspire, these too are a part of the memorimage when I think of her.

So there you have it -- memorimage. What do you think, what are some of your memorimages? Let me know if you like, I'd be glad to hear from you.