Where were you when..................?

Wikipedia says, "A flashbulb memory is a memory that was laid down in great detail during a personally significant event, often a shocking event of national or international importance. These memories are perceived to have a 'photographic' quality. The term was coined by Brown and Kulik (1977), who found highly emotional memories (e.g. hearing bad news) were often vividly recalled, even some time after the event." There is debate among researchers as to whether these memories really are more vivid than others, or whether the detail comes from the fact that they are discussed so much in the days that follow, or even if brain chemicals that are released play a roll, etc. All I know is that there are some memories in my mind that are as fresh today as they were the day they happened. I remember slamming my sister's fingers in a door when I was 

2 1/2. Mainly, I remember the spanking I got for the running in the house that led to the fingers being slammed. I remember spinning (like little girls do) outside on an incredibly windy day when I was 5 years old. (1969) My mom told me that the winds came from something called, "Hurricane Camille." To this day, on windy days, I immediately picture myself spinning. I remember calling home from a mission trip in August of 1977 and my mom telling me that Elvis Presley had died. I ran back to tell my Youth Pastor and all the other kids and no one would believe me. January 28, 1986, I walked into my clinical nursing classroom to find all the professors gathered around a tv, crying. Challenger had exploded. Halloween Day, 1996, we heard the news that we'd miscarried our first baby at 3 1/2 months. Seven years ago today, we got a call from our pastor telling us to turn on the news. As we did, a plane flew into the second of the Twin Towers, an image that is permanently seared in our brains. And right now, if I close my eyes, I can be back in a hospital room on January 26th, 2007. All the sights, sounds, smells and emotions of the day my dad died will never fade. 

So looking back over this list, the thing that immediately jumps out at me is that all of these memories are associated with negative events. Well, the spinning was a positive for me, but Camille was pretty much an all-around negative, I'd imagine. So do I only have flashbulb memories of bad things? Absolutely not. In the exact same vivid detail, I can remember my Brownie "Fly-Up" ceremony, my 6th grade party for "graduation," my Senior Prom, the first time I heard some guy named Lee Black sing, kissing Lee Black for the first time, our engagement, our wedding day (ok some of that day is a blur), and the births of each of our four children. (and yes, those go in the "good" memory list!) So why does my mind always go to the negative first? I want to to live Philippians 4:8. Thinking about the things that are "true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy."  I want the flashbulb memories to be of those things first. So, enough writing for now. I'm about to make some good memories with my kids!!