Earliest Memory- Ralston Hartness

The question on our pre-class interview sheet sent me in to a mental whirlwind today as I was trying to flip through countless blurry memories. For each, I was asking myself, Was that a memorial? What that really my youngest memory? Should I confirm with my parents? Thankfully, a memory emerged, at first fuzzy but clearer as I toyed with it, in my mind about a time when I went with my grandfather to visit a cemetery in a small town named Blue Ridge, Georgia. 

Although I know very little of my family in Blue Ridge, I am told, and have seen firsthand at family reunions in that region, that my family is rooted in the town and surrounding communities. When I was in elementary school, however, this reality was not nearly as meaningful to me as it is now. I believe that this is what resulted in my relatively disinterested, confused, and oblivious attitude when I was walking around the oppressively hot cemetery with my grandfather. I have a vague recollection of my cousin being with us as well, but what stands out most clear to me is that my grandfather, Grandy, was trying to point out to me the graves of older generations of the Hartness family. Though I am sure that he was attempting to provide ample explanation for who those family members were, I remember not processing any of it- rather, I remember thinking, why are we walking around this cemetery? I don't even know any of these people. At this point in my early life, I had not yet experienced death within our family (I never knew any of my great-grandfathers, but I lived nearly 9 years knowing my four great-grandmothers and other family members), which I believe influenced my oblivious, careless, and distracted attitude at this cemetery. Although I am shocked that this memory stands out so clearly, it was a nostalgic experience recollecting this moment and speaking with my parents about it.