I Remember What I See

From what I can tell, my earliest memory is from when I was about 2 years old. I remember my feet in the sand at the edge of the shore and a feeling of vertigo as the waves came in over my feet and then receded. (Vertigo and recede are words a 45-year-old puts to it. I remember dizziness and panic and thought for sure I was going to be sucked out to sea.)

I also very clearly recall my fingers squeezing my father's index finger for dear life. I remember the blond hair on his legs, his bony ankles and his enormous white feet that were also disappearing into the sand.

That's it: panic when I looked at my own feet, safety when I looked at my Dad's hand.

That was probably the high point in our relationship, but then again I guess things are always complex between fathers and sons.