Thursday, May 31, 2012

Sense of Smell

 I don't know how it is for everyone else, but my sense of smell plays a huge trigger for memories. Today, at Walmart, a man walked down the isle right behind me. His smell immediately reminded me of the way my Poppaw smelled when we would go to the lake when I was a child. Not that he smelled bad by any means! People close to me have a certain smell to them. It doesn't smell like a cologne or perfume. It is just their smell. My husband has a smell, my kids have a smell, my dad has an overpowering smell, my mom has a certain scent to her.... the list goes on. As I type these people's name, I immediately remember how they smell. I forgot, however, what my Poppaw smells like.... until the gentleman walked behind me. Then, BAM!! I am at the lake sitting next to my Poppaw smelling him, Off bug repellent, a hint of sunscreen, and the outdoors-ness smell of the lake. Of course, this caused a ton of memories to flood my head.

My Poppaw and I -1984

I remembered the times we would go to the lake. I did not want to kill a fish or eat it, so they brought hot dogs to eat. I did not like bugs or being outside, so I got to sleep in the camper. I was afraid to go into the lake water because I saw the red dots on Poppaw's chest when he dived in and I thought he was bitten by fish. Later... many years later, I found that he landed on some rocks and was just fine. I would not go into the water unless he or someone else helped me and held me while in the water. I did not like the feel of the mud in my toes. I remembered how safe I felt in the life jacket :) I realized that my kids got their "bratty-ness" from someone and it probably wasn't Jeff. I remembered Poppaw's big hugs.

Then I got to thinking. First, I need to pay my Poppaw a visit!! That feeling when you miss someone so much it aches in your chest is not a good feeling and I need to fix this, pronto. Second, maybe I should think about taking my kids to the lake.... maybe. I am still not a fan of the heat, outdoors, rocks, bugs, boats, killing fish, or mud, but THEY might like it. If I can keep my big trap shut, maybe they would enjoy a lake trip. Third, what the heck do I do to plan a lake trip?? This is as far as I got on  thinking about that.

Poppaw and Lliam- 2007

The cool thing about Summer is that we can plan a trip like this. We could start with an afternoon at a lake close by and then, if it goes well, we could stay longer the next time. The other neat thing about Summer is that I can plan a quick day trip to visit my Grandparents. I have a lot of family that live real close to my grandparents, so it may have to be a 2 or 3 day trip so I can get a good visit in with all of them. (I like to talk and it IS an inherited trait)
Some questions:
Does your sense of smell trigger vivid memories?
What Summer family plans do you have?

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