Memories

I have found that my mind is a very powerful tool. Almost too powerful. It amazes me how months or years later I can see, hear, or smell something that will trigger my mind to a place in the past. It is almost like I don't have control over what is happening and I have to pause what I am doing until it passes.

Example one, a strawberry candle. My wife and I were staying at a hotel and she had brought this candle on the trip to give the room a nice smell. The weekend was particularly memorable and fun . Later, we decided to make the candle part of our travel accoutrement. So, every trip since then when we burn that candle, my mind races back to the original memory, triggered by the smell of the strawberry candle.

Example two, the bottle of cologne. In 1993 or 1994, Calvin Klein released a new unisex cologne called ckOne. It seemed to be very popular among the young, college crowd. I remember there being an advertisement in the Cavalier Daily that contained one of those sample strips like one would find in a magazine. I bought a bottle of the cologne in the fall of 1994, my 3rd year at UVA. That fall was a particularly good semester for me...I met my future wife in August 94 and I made several trips to JMU to visit some friends from high school. Always when going out or going to class, I would use my new bottle of cologne. During those few months, the smell must have gotten into my memory and buried itself. I have never bought another bottle of ckOne since then and I rarely smell it on people anymore. However, a few weeks ago when I was driving the bus, someone got on the bus and was wearing ckOne. Well, you know what happened. My mind took over, dug up those memories and I was transported back to the fall of 1994.

Example three, the sights and sounds. There are too many to pick out one or two examples of when a song has taken me back through time or seeing something that does the same. We have all been there, a song comes on the radio that is associated with a memory that you may or may not think was significant. Maybe it is a good memory. Maybe it is bad. Whatever the case, our mind takes over and sends us back to some point in time.

The point I am trying to make with all this rambling is to live and love. We have one life, make the most of it. Do those things you've always wanted to do, try a new restaurant, listen to new music, or whatever has been bubbling in your mind to try. Also, if you are in a relationship, love your spouse, partner, special friend or whoever means the most to you. Enjoy the time you have together. Make memories now so that down the road, that smell, sight or sound makes you remember.

Later people.