Going back...

It's Saturday morning and our two dogs are occupying my lap while I surf through pictures on the internet. I wasn't long into it when pictures in my head started to reveal themselves...pictures of childhood memories, old friends, places I have been and places that I would like to go. Our senses are pretty powerful. A simple picture, a smell, a song on the radio, all have an amazing ability to open our mind to a plethora of previously locked away memories resulting in a flood of activity that can trigger every emotion to engage all at once.

A picture of a firetruck brought me back to kindergarten (another story in itself), which brought back memories of growing up with my best friend...playing football in his back yard, having sleep-overs...great stuff. Then there was the picture of an elderly couple...bam!! Just unlocked memories of going back to New York to visit family and staying at my grandparents house. The kids used to sleep in the attic. It was finished off as if it were designed just for us and smelled of cedar from some of the furniture.

Cedar. now I have smells to add to the mix. The smell of the air after a rainstorm brings back some fantastic memories of growing up in Colorado and playing in the rain during one of those famous Colorado afternoon thunderstorms. More smells came to mind, bringing back more memories...like going outside after dinner during the summer to run and play with friends and smelling the freshly cut grass or the flowers being invaded by the bees. Many of the neighborhood kids used to gather and play games like jailbreak, tag, kick the can...wow! Do kids still play these games?

Memories of past girlfriends...I still remember the first girl I kissed and where it took place. Watching my first crush at gymnastics practice. My first love and the great times we shared together sneaking out of our houses just so we could spend time together because we hated being apart. I am completely overwhelmed right now...so many memories coming back to make their existence a reality again. The time I broke my foot while washing the windows, the ice cream man giving me and my friends a free bomb pop because of all the times we bought from him and always said "thank you", riding our bikes on the newly paved neighborhood streets, playing football most every Sunday morning...sun, rain, or snow. Going to summer camp...the circus...to watch the Harlem Globetrotters...

Sometimes it seems that we live our lives just to get to the next day. Take some time to listen to your favorite songs, look through a few photos, or smell the freshly cut grass as you mow the yard. Don't hurry through today to get to tomorrow. Go back in time and remember what made you who you are today.