My clearest memory is my dad's truck door slamming shut when I was four

I was in the driveway in Spokane, and he'd just left for work. I remember the exact sound, the cold metal, and feeling totally alone. That sound still makes me jump, and I think it's why I'm always super aware of people leaving. Anyone else have a memory tied to a specific sound that just stuck?

4 comments

4 Comments

miles_burns1mo ago

Actually it was a warm spring day in Spokane, not cold, when similar stuff happened to me at that age. I think you're overanalyzing that one sound into controlling your whole life honestly.

the_linda3mo ago

Hear the sound of a specific kind of car alarm and my stomach drops. It's the exact same one from the parking lot the day my mom had a really bad fall. That high, repeating beep just instantly takes me right back to that panic.

kelly.charlie3mo ago

Ever try changing the sound on your own car? I had a similar thing with a certain ringtone. I swapped mine out for a different beep and it helped break that brain link. You could also try pairing the sound with something good, like a piece of candy, to mess with the memory. It takes a bit but it can dull that sharp panic feeling.

-1

nancyj113mo ago

My old Civic had this one-note alarm that sounded exactly like my dentist's text alert. Tbh, I'd be sweating in the grocery store parking lot every time a Honda locked. I finally recorded it and made it my morning alarm for a week. Ngl, it sort of worked, because now I just hate waking up instead.