Marcel Proust reflected that “the smell and taste of things remain poised a long time, ready to remind us... the immense edifice of memory”. It's a familiar phenomenon: a single smell or sound has the power to conjure up entire scenes from the past. (1)This very phenomenon happened to me this morning as old familiar music rushed in memories of my past. The car radio aired a snippet of The Price is Right theme song http://www.kfcplainfield.com/sound/tpir.wav, and I was immediately ushered back into the early nineties… into teenage wonderland, into summer days at home.
Each morning when I awoke, I poured my bowl of cereal, topped it with skim milk, and made my way to the living room. Covered in a blanket, slurping the milk off my spoon, I watched a white-haired Bob Barker host contestants as they bid on showcases and prizes. I selected my favorite contestants as I watched, and hoped they’d make it to the showcase showdown. I imagined myself in their shoes, winning new cars and luxurious trips, jumping around the stage and hollering as the announcer said “Kristi Herbranson, come on down!” And I always placed my bid, though I knew nothing of real prices at the time. It was the way I started my day.
As the theme music graced my car this morning, the scenes of summers gone by were vivid in my mind. And ahh, the beauty of them, the sheer simplicity. I ached for a chance to sit on my couch at 10:00 A.M. today and hear that glorious music play. I longed for the days of “boredom” that I complained so much about years ago. The days in which my sisters and I fought so viciously. The days when we created our own summer clubs, including Angie’s brilliant addition “Rainbow Mathematics”. The days in which we spent hours upon hours at the Glenwood Swimming Pool or riding our bikes all around town. The days of popsicles and sprinklers, of sleeping in without a thought of work or school. The days of rubbing Elmer’s Glue on our legs and then peeling it off for softer skin. Days of playing practical jokes, fighting over chores, and running down the street barefoot.
I miss summers off. I miss slurping cereal. And I miss Bob Barker.
What do you miss?
1. Hopkin, Michael. “Link Proved Between Senses and Memory.” BioEd Online. 31 May 2004. 9 July 2007. www.bioedonline.org.
2 comments:
I miss coloring...striving to stay in the lines, but having the freedom to do any page I wanted, any color I wanted. I miss dressing my cat up in doll clothes and playing with my sister...Sweeping out our barn loft play house...Rolling down the hill or playing in the creek while my parents worked with the honey bees. I miss days when life was simple. I miss being a kid!
The joy of swimming in the local river with the guys. Daydreaming about what we would do when we grew up. Playing football with my brothers. Eating watermelon and spitting the seeds. Being naive. Playing outside until the sun went down. Family vacations when we were promised a new adventure just over the horizon. Getting all sweaty and hosing off outside. Homemade ice cream. Being innocent. Driving for the first time.
I miss a lot of things, but I am thankful for the memories.
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