Quincy Adams to Harrison

Remember the US Presidents. I mentioned in my previous post how as a keynote presenter I often have the audience remember the US Presidents as a creative exercise for forming images. I thought I would extend it beyond the first 10 and write a series of posts to show how to recall all 44.

We memorize the 1st five presidents by linking them together in a crazy story, with the first president, Washington, associated to your 1st location in your home, I used my downstairs hallway and placed a huge Washing Machine there. If you don’t recall them, please go back and review the 1st five images in the previous post.

The next five presidents, (Quincy Adams to Harrison), will again be linked together in a crazy sequence with the first, Quincy Adams, being associated to your next location or Loci. In my home it would be the Front Living Room. This is where we open our second folder containing the next five presidents.

We now need to place an image, which reminds us of Quincy Adams, and place it smack bang in the middle of the living room. Already being familiar with the name Quincy Adams, all we need is an image with the ‘Q’ sound….a huge Q-tip would do. Go ahead and imagine a gigantic 6′ tall Q-tip standing erect in the middle of your living room (or whatever second location you are using).

Next: Q-tip to the Jackson Five (Andrew Jackson)

Now we link the Q-tip to the image representing the 7th president, Jackson.

Imagine this: Visualize the Jackson Five all hanging onto, and singing into, this gigantic Q-tip as if it were a microphone.

Next: Jackson Five to a Van transporting a huge Bureau (Van Buren)

Imagine this: See the Jackson Five, still holding this gigantic Q-tip, ‘moonwalking’ backwards onto a ramp that leads into the back of a Van. Inside the Van is an old ornate wooden bureau. The Jackson Five sit around the bureau and start opening drawers looking for pens and paper to sign autographs.

Next: The Van containing the Bureau to Harrison Ford and George Harrison (Harrison)

Imagine this: Separating the Jackson Five from the driver is a glass partition; they bang on the partition and yell at the driver to get going, as they are late for a gig. Look who’s in the driver’s seat, it’s Harrison Ford from the Raider’s movie. See him in his Brown leather jacket, bullwhip and revolver in hand, his fedora hat, and look who’s in the passenger seat, it’s George Harrison from the Beatles sitting there strumming his sitar.

Next: The Harrison’s to Steve Tyler (Tyler)

Imagine this: The Harrison’s say, “We can’t go yet until that nut job Steve Tyler gets off the roof of the van.” You hear this loud thumping on the roof, and the roof is starting to buckle in with the weight of Steve Tyler jumping up and down. The inevitable happens and Steve Tyler smashes through the roof and lands on top of the bureau, mic stand in hand with his trademark silk scarf tied to it, he’s singing his heart out.

If you are not familiar with Steve Tyler from Aerosmith, then you can perhaps visualize a Tiler with a work belt and kneepads ’tiling’ over some huge holes in the roof of the van.

So, to review. What is standing erect in the middle of the Living Room? (Our second location). Of course, the Q-tip….Quincy Adams. Who grabs hold of the Q-tip and starts to sing? The Jackson Five….Jackson. Where do they ‘moonwalk’? Into the back of the Van, which contains what? The Bureau….Van Buren. They bang on the glass, who is driving? The Harrison’s….Harrison. They say they can’t go until the nut job is off the roof, Steve Tyler….Tiler.

Just as with the first five presidents, you need to review these images within the hour then again tomorrow, then review them each time I post another five. By the end you will know all 44 in sequence, a great exercise to show how images need to be formed to take advantage of memory systems. Remember to share with your children.