Jonathan's Amazing Memory

My brother Jonathan, who is almost 31 and autistic (our family Rain Man), has the most amazing memory. We all might have the potential to remember things this well, but for most of us those doors in the brain are not as open as his, or just entirely locked. On a regular basis (as long as I remember to write him back) I get e-mails from him that go something like this...

On Christmas 1990, I received the dinosaur pajama bag I used to have when I was in middle school. It was green. I also received Steve Winwood's album "Roll With It" on cassette. I remember the air flute I used to have. It was purple. Daniel was in the second grade on Christmas 1990. Mom was 40 years old on Christmas 1990. I was in the sixth grade at Brownell Middle School on Christmas 1990. Two months after Christmas 1990, we celebrated your 16th birthday at Club 500 in Detroit. That was February 1991. In April of 1991, there was a big, fallen branch in the back yard at Mom's family home. We hired a couple of men to cut it up during Easter vacation of 1991. Also in April of 1991, Grandma and Grandpa Priebe had their first visit at Mom's family home. They took an airplane from Arizona to Michigan. Daniel was eight years old in April of 1991. After Easter 1991, we celebrated my 13th birthday on April 30, 1991. That was 18 years ago. A month later in 1991, our friend Annette had a baby shower at Mom's family home. That was May 1991. I used to make cards for our neighbors on Anita when I was in middle school.

And I have a hard time just remembering what I did last week.


"Don't mess with me."