In the spring of 2003 I was broadsided by a car driven by a person who had too much to drink. Both cars were totaled. I was left with many injuries including partial memory loss. I was told the memories are still buried inside but that accessing them was the problem. To this day many are still missing, and for others I've formed new pathways and for many others (like friends) I've just had to reintroduce myself and form new memories. And then others just pop up some how jogged to the surface by a word or similar situation.
Thus the picture of the bus. This is a picture of a Portland, Oregon Transit bus. In late seventies I lived in Portland and I worked at the Lewis & Clark College. To get there I had to take two buses transferring in downtown Portland. One afternoon as I board the bus in downtown to go to work, the bus driver greeted me very familiarly. I don't remember the conversation verbatim but he said things like - its good to see you, when did you arrive from Monmouth. Well I remember being curious as to how he knew I'd lived in Monmouth! He then gestured to the front seat and said please sit there. So I did! He's now facing forward and asking if I'd called mom to let her know I was here or if I just came to see him first! I sure at this point I said something like I have no idea what you are talking about. At the next stop he turned and took a good look at me and started to laugh! He thought I was his sister! Turns out she was at the Oregon College of Education (OCE) in Monmouth which is where I graduated from the previous year! He then pulled out his wallet and showed me her picture and yes, we could have been twins! So he asked me to come to the stop a little earlier the next day during his lunch break and I did and we called his sister! She was taking the same program that I had graduated from at OCE!
I remember that every day after that I made sure to catch his bus to & from work (he even delayed the bus if I was late to the bus stop after work) and I sat in the front seat talking with him. That did not last long as he was very concerned for my safety - at Lewis & Clark there had been a rapist running loose & so he convinced me to find a job in another area. Which I did. I missed my friendly bus driver who watched over me, I hated my new job at Dairy Queen but finally my teaching certificate arrived and I landed a job in Independence Oregon!
What caused this memory return, I think, was a conversation I had with Adam telling me about his sister and how much he thinks we have in common last night. And that he would like to have us meet someday! I, course said invite her up, I'd love to meet her! How did I remember this - actually in a dream...
