Friday, January 26, 2007

Repressed Memory

Well, I've been a bit freaked out the past couple of weeks.

I have had an amazing long-term memory. I can recognize people from elementary school and adjust for aging. I remember everyone.... but they don't always remember meeting me one time 15 years ago :). I can also remember what people were wearing, furniture arrangement and the music that was playing from experiences I had before age 2.

Adam and I went to Helen, GA a couple of weekends ago. We asked some locals which restaurant they recommended. We learned that the local favorite was Paul's Steakhouse, so we decided to try it.

We walked inside, and as if enterring a time machine, were transformed back to 1989. The women had lots a bushy hair with wings. Electric blue eye-liner circling their eyes, and we saw lots of tight acid-washed jeans. This was no costume party. There was a 20 minute wait time, so we decided to do something out of our comfort zone and checked out the dance room. I was expecting to find a wedding-reception/highschool dance sort of environment, but found it to be more of a Road-house feel.

All of the sudden.... it felt so familiar. The smoky room, the country music, the beer.... I had been somewhere just like this before. Mind you, these are also the the things that I hate: Smoke, Country music, beer.

Adam told me that there was a place just like this in Chattanooga - The Governors Lounge. I knew that I must have been there.... but why?

I called my mother. She confirmed that I had gone with her on a few occasions. I had apparently gone with her when I was 18 to learn some line-dances and then taught them to her.

I do not remember this. I called my sister, Erica. She confirmed that I had gone at least 3 times.... and that I had even taught her the line dance to "Achy, Breaky Heart." If I had to name the most annoying song ever, that would be up there with "Just a Swingin".

Well, I'd like to know why I can't remember this. I'm wondering if I should pay this place a visit to see if it jogs my memory.

When it was time for us to be seated, we decided to go back to the future and find a different restaurant. We walked across the street to the Troll Tavern. It was good to eat dinner surrounded by people from this era!

3 comments:

Keri said...

I'll go to Governors with you sometime, only for a peek, though. :)

Lisa said...

That's too funny. Many things that happened in high school are a blur for me too, thankfully! : )

Laura said...

How interesting! I have been amazed by your memory, so this certainly is perplexing. I wonder if something traumatic happened and you blocked that place out of your memory? More likely, if it was a place that embodied mostly things you don't like, perhaps your mind decided it wasn't worth taking up any space. :)