Earliest Childhood Memory

Summary

The author recounts a childhood memory of dealing with pigeons nesting outside their apartment, which leads to a personal transformation towards vulnerability.

Abstract

The narrative begins with the author's earliest childhood memory involving pigeons nesting on the gallery outside their family's apartment. Despite the nuisance of the pigeons' droppings, the author's mother disapproved of removing the nests, fostering a sense of empathy in the author. The turning point occurs when the author, in an attempt to solve the problem, frightens a pigeon that had entered their home, an act that initially seems successful but ultimately leaves the author feeling remorseful. This experience, coupled with the mother's gentle reprimand, triggers a profound realization about the importance of not harming others and leads the author to embrace their innermost sensitive nature, transitioning from acting tough to becoming vulnerable.

Opinions

The author identifies as a sensitive person who masks their sensitivity by acting tough.
There is a conflict between the practical need to keep the living space clean and the ethical treatment of the pigeons.
The mother's disapproval of harming the pigeons is a pivotal moment that influences the author's self-reflection and transformation.
The author feels a sense of purification and a shift in perspective after understanding the mother's viewpoint on compassion.
The author's act of scaring the pigeon is seen as a misguided attempt to please their mother, which instead leads to a valuable life lesson.

Earliest Childhood Memory

It started with Pigeons.

I am a sensitive person but I found a way to block it all by acting like the toughest one in the family.

We lived in an apartment, outside of our living room, we had a gallery with a place on top where pigeons would stay for shelter.

My mom tried to remove their nest to push them away. They always shit on our floor.

Every time we remove their nest, they rebuild.

They get inside when doors are open so one day I purposely kept it open so one of the pigeons came to shelter for the night inside the room. I scared the bird off after dark.

That was horrible.

I proudly went to my mother to share my plan so that she didn’t have to worry about cleaning their mess.

Mom was unproud and said that it is not wise to hurt someone.

Her reaction captivated me, it felt like my soul got purified from this dark world.

I became who I buried deep within.