Remembering

 Do you remember twins falling into the ruble one at a time?

I was only three.

Do you remember when four teenagers made a pact to commit suicide during Christmas break?

I remember praying for their families that night.

Do you remember when backyards were the safest place on Earth?
I've been to China, Egypt, Madagascar, Narnia, all before supper time.
Do you remember hiding behind your covers thinking they would protect you?
I had hippo eyes while holding my breath.
Do you remember the letters they make teachers read?
I remember my French teacher crying through the suicide notice my sophomore year.
Do you remember when I came home crying because Maddie made me eat a potato bug?
I felt sorry for the poor bug that died between my teeth.
Do you remember when the world was ending in 2012?
I had my first sleepover then.
Do you remember when bitter frosting and loose teeth were the only problems as a child?
I never knew those would be a lesson to me as a teenager.
Do you remember when Santa, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy became parents with an emptied out wallet and regretful chewing on the cookies they wished you didn't make so many?
I hid in a bin in the back of my closet; crying.
Isn't it funny what we remember and what we forget?
We remember what we wish to forget and we forget what we wish to remember.
Do you remember the terrified teenagers at the Columbine shooting of 1999?
Or the girl known as 'the girl who said 'yes'?'
I remember my biology teacher yell at our class for being too noisy through a lock down drill who referenced to this shooting.
Do you remember when Chapstick was invented?
Yeah, me neither.
Do you remember when the grumpy, wrinkled teacher yelled at me in front of the classroom for being late by three minutes?
I ended up crying in front of the class. I stopped wanting to talk to teachers. I secretly feel they despise me.
Do you remember when police K-9's searched the school for drugs and found some?
Police dogs give me anxiety attacks.
Do you remember when all of your hard work went to nothing when no one gave feed back, so you didn't want to do it anymore?
Yeah, that happens to me often. Even on the blogs.
Do you remember when 'Stupid', 'Fat', 'Jerk, and 'Sex' were the worst words out there?
Now there are over forty.
Do you remember when Syria's government poured mustard gas on their own people?
Google images are terrifyingly disturbing.
Do you remember the lost things you forgot all about?
Do you remember what you wish to forget?
So do I. But that's okay.
I remember, but do you?