Memoir Day 1: I Remember When

Art by Ellen Surrey

I remember my cassette player with a cassette of Fiddler on the Roof. I would strap on my roller skates, put on my headphones and skate around the courtyard in our Alhambra apartment. I remember getting lost in the music, in my own little world.  

I remember when I would sit on my bed by the window in our house in Covina and listen to the radio. I especially remember listening to  Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper and You Gotta Be by Des’ree. I had my own little alarm clock radio that I loved. I would listen to love songs imagine what my life would be like in the future. I loved my bed too. The headboard had little cubbies where I could keep my books and keepsakes. I shared the bedroom with my three younger sisters, two in the bunk bed and one in a crib. We were crowded, but the bed was my space. Space has always been something I needed, a little bit of somewhere that was my very own where I could read, think and listen to music.

Day 1 Prompt: “I remember when”. Set your timer for eight minutes. Go somewhere quiet and get out your writing utensils. Write “I remember when” at the top of your page and start writing. The rules are don’t edit/censor yourself. Don’t worry whether what you’re  writing is good or bad. Don’t worry who might read it. Just write whatever comes into your head. Try not to think too much. If you get stuck, write “I remember when” again and try something new. Go the full eight minutes without stopping. If you want to keep going, great. If not, great. If you feel like it, comment about how it went. Happy writing!

To join the memoir writing group and view the daily prompts, go to anndeeellis.com.