TIME - THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT...

Largs, 1971.  During a fortnight's holiday, I bought three things that I yet remember to this day.  Not necessarily in the order acquired, I purchased a witch keyring, a cheap ACTION MAN knock-off (in a deep sea diving suit, I think), and a little plastic deer.  The last two items were bought in the same shop though not necessarily on the same day, the first item's place of purchase is beyond my ability to recall.  Oh, and I also remember buying at least a couple of issues of KNOCKOUT, a comic that had only come out in June.

So where am I going with this you may be wondering.  Well, in previous posts, I've posited the idea that if we live somewhere for several years, and buy something only a year or so before moving, in retrospect it feels that we had that something for the entire time we lived there, not just the latter stages of our occupancy.  That's because we associate the item with the place, and as we lived in the place for years, the association feels of equal duration.  That make sense to you?  That's how it often seems to me anyway.

But there can be exceptions - kind of.  I was surprised to learn that a BEANO I associate with my current house in September of 1972 was bought in my previous home in February of 1971.  I was amazed to discover (upon re-aquiring the issue around three years back) that I must've owned it for at least a year and seven months, though goodness knows how long I had it beyond that.  Until I saw the date on the replacement, I assumed for years that I'd bought it only that week or the week before in September of '72.  (If you're interested in that story, see here.)

Same goes for that little deer bought in Largs in June of '71.  I mainly associate it with my previous home, but there it is on the card table in the top photo, taken in July of '72.  (It's to the right of the flowers in front of a little vase - see close-up above.)  I'm staggered to learn that, at that point, I'd owned it for just over a year, as I just never thought I'd had it for so long.  How long did I own it in total?  Couldn't say - could've been another week, another month, or another year, but I just don't remember.

And that's it, I'm afraid.  All I wanted to say was that I'm sometimes staggered to realise that I had something for far longer than I thought I did, just as I'm equally staggered to learn that something I feel I had for yonks, I actually had for no more than a few days. (Like the first revamped 1969 issue of SMASH!  For that story, see here.)  Don't get me wrong though;  on a conscious level I know I had that Smash! for only around 3 or 4 days, but on another level it feels that I had it for far longer than that.

So readers, wanna play?  Is there anything that you once owned which, thinking back, seems like you had for longer than you actually did, or (conversely) something which feels like you had in your possession for a far shorter period than you seem to remember?  If that makes any sense to you, astound us all with your recollections in the comments section.