Memories

I've been thinking a lot about the memories that linger in your mind forever.  Moments that may have changed the path of your life or perhaps, just a small act of kindness when you least expected it.  Maybe it was just a random event that was humorous and became an easy story to retell at parties.  There are many of these moments that have remained elaborately detailed in my mind.  

For instance, I'll never forget "swimming" in one of those blue plastic kiddie pools at my grandparents' house in Elkton, Michigan.  My grandfather would sit on a folding chair in the backyard and "supervise" me pretending to be an otter (or any other sea creature I was channeling that day).  I'm not sure exactly how old I was, probably five or six.  Young enough to think my grandfather was joking when he said "If you spit that on me, I'm dumping all the water out of that pool!"  Turns out, he was serious.  I remember watching sadly from the window, with little tears streaming down my face, as he dragged the empty pool to the shed.  That's the last time I tested my grandfather's word.