Memories and Senses

It's amazing to me how songs can evoke such emotion. Today, I was in the gym for open house (crazy that mine was exactly two years ago now) to play for band, and the Kenny Loggins CD was playing (Rainbow Connection, House at Pooh Corner) and I immediately was brought back to the times when my sister and I would sing those songs. I still have all of the lyrics memorized and still remember how I felt when we would sing them. I can still hear our voices singing them, a little off key, but it never mattered.
There are so many songs like this... "I Love Rock and Roll" and "You Shook Me All Night Long" bring me right back to high school dances.


If I hear any John Denver song, I'm immediately transported back to Sunday afternoons, with my dad playing guitar on the couch... he never really got all the words right, but to him, the words didn't matter all that much, it was the feeling he got from playing the songs of his hero.
Different songs bring me back to different seasons and times in my life. "Summer Girls", "Allstar", "Soak up the Sun" "SOS", and "Unwritten," have the ability to make me feel like the sun's beating down on my shoulders no matter when I hear them.


Backstreet Boys and N*Sync songs remind me of the good old days, when Sarah Todd and I thought it'd be a good idea to do one of their songs for the Talent Show... luckily someone discouraged us.
"Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" brings me back to two memories now; the first: rocking out to it in the car before the Christmas dance when we all (except me) wore matching outfits; the second: this past Christmas, blasting it in the kitchen as my house mates and I made cookies for our A4 Holiday Party.


Any of the pep bands songs make me feel like I'm sitting on the bleachers, cheering on my favorites.



The same thing is also true with smells. For some reason, my Herbal Essences shampoo makes me think of Peru every time I use it, and I can't figure out why.


The smell of brownies makes me think of my mom, the smell of "just-showered-clean" makes me think of the mornings Steven would come over before school. If I get a certain whiff of something, I'm immediately brought back to Lindsay's house, Grandma Veet's house, the middle school cafeteria.

I wish my job could be something to do with memories... I'm a big fan of them... I just have to remember that if I'm too caught up in the past, I won't be making any memories in the present to reflect upon in the future...