This came up in my ongoing discussion with Scott in the comments of my last post.
When I was a kid, I used to wander around by a creek in the woods and throw rocks at sun-bathing cottonmouths (also called water moccasins -- a venomous snake in my area).
That's a simple, easily-repeatable experience that many kids might have had. It's such a small experience, yet I still remember it and include it in my personal story (the memories I choose to describe my life when reflecting) because it says something about my personality at the time (that I did things just for the hell of it, that I didn't think too hard about consequences, that I liked being outdoors, etc).
Small, simple experiences which are not inherently personal or deep can have great personal relevance and depth.
When I was a kid, I used to wander around by a creek in the woods and throw rocks at sun-bathing cottonmouths (also called water moccasins -- a venomous snake in my area).
That's a simple, easily-repeatable experience that many kids might have had. It's such a small experience, yet I still remember it and include it in my personal story (the memories I choose to describe my life when reflecting) because it says something about my personality at the time (that I did things just for the hell of it, that I didn't think too hard about consequences, that I liked being outdoors, etc).
Small, simple experiences which are not inherently personal or deep can have great personal relevance and depth.
