Do certain smells, foods, or pieces of music, (or anything else for that matter) trigger memories of people, places, events; wonderful, or terrible times?I have always been sensitive to these things, but I find they are magnified, as I get older. Once triggered, the waves of memories are as vivid as they were when they occurred. Be they good, bad, and/or uncomfortable – they return amplified. Whenever I smell a certain brand of pipe tobacco, for example, I remember my grandfather.
Sometimes I wake during the night in need of a glass of water and when I get back under the covers the mind springs into action and scratches the surface of some event of long ago. Last night triggered one of these, what to call them – movies? - that project themselves in my head. It was of a happy time featuring friends I haven’t seen in decades and some who are no longer with us. The experience was bitter sweet, but comforting as well. It was an actual event that took place 39 years ago; so vivid that I could smell the wild roses that surrounded us at the time.
Well, we don’t have all those senses for nothin’ after all.
It was fun to relive that happy time; remembering the intricacies of the relationships; not to mention how young we were.
I don’t know where I am going with this. Maybe it’s the peculiar way these memories enter the consciousness and how I react to them. When the memories are of a negative, disturbing nature, I find myself wondering what I could have done differently that may have made a difference. That was me! Always trying to make everything right, or at least better. Only to realize that there was nothing that could have altered the outcome of that particular situation.
This may make no sense to anyone but me. Just sharing.
And so it goes.
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You are not alone. At odd times the circuits connect in my head and replay the scenes of my life. Sometimes they are the strangest of events that I recall. And, yes, smells and sounds will trigger recall for me, too.
ReplyDeleteThanks. It's good to know that I am not the only one experiencing these bizarre, emotional, and sometimes disturbing re-runs.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear from you.
whenever I need cheering up, I get out some old magazines and take a deep breath. The smell immediately triggers a euphoria as it is a smell from my childhood - my grandparents house and all its lovely memories.
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