Memories... and the Evocative Nature of Music
Taking a quick break from our busy weekend with houseguests to write a few words, while they are still fresh in my mind.
I heard a particular snippet of music earlier today... and it suddenly "transported" me back to a memory of many years ago... made me think about the strange ways in which memories arise.
Specifically, I was thinking about the things that "trigger" memories of certain things... and just how powerful sound memories can be.
Suddenly, I had this very strong feeling of sitting on the back terrace at my auntie's house in Denmark... because the particular tune in question had been on a CD I had recorded for myself (remember recording CDs of your own music?) and I would play it regular while I was sitting out on that terrace, relaxing during my vacation.
I spent three weeks there, by myself, in the late 1990's.
Later on today, I was out in our back yard and that earlier memory has somehow reinforced because our mock orange bush (known in some places as "night blooming jasmine") is blooming, and the fragrance is the same as a similar bush that grows at that same place in Denmark.
More often than not, such memories bubble to the surface because they are "triggered," rather than because we sit down and consciously think about them, or try to recollect them.
And this was definitely a very positive feeling!
Meanwhile, it was Father's Day today, here in the USA. We didn't really do anything out of the ordinary, although Mrs. Denmarkguy did make a most excellent lasagna for dinner!
And now I must go get some sleep, ahead of another day of playing "host" to our guests tomorrow!
Thanks for stopping by, and I hope your weekend was a good one!
How about YOU? Are you aware of how your memories arise? Or do you not think about the past, very often? Do leave a comment — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!
(All text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is ORIGINAL CONTENT, created expressly for this platform — NOT A CROSSPOST!!!)
Created at 20220620 00:24 PDT
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Of course, music is a great trigger! I not only remember CD's I burned myself, but also mixed tapes on cassettes ;-)) And they are all nice memories (even if the music itself is sometimes embarrassing today ;-))
Natürlich ist Musik ein prima Trigger! Ich erinnere mich nicht nur an selbst gebrannte CD's, sondern auch noch an mixed tapes auf Kassetten ;-)) Und es sind allesamt schöne Erinnerungen (auch wenn die Musik selber teilweise peinlich ist heute ;-))
I agree. Music is often the strongest trigger of all. Not all the memories are nice for me, however. Sometimes I hear a certain type of music from a certain era and it reminds me of sad things.
Ah, agree. Same here - but it's really okay so: I don't want to forget the sad moments. They helped to build and form the person I am today.
I love the thatched roof.