I remembered I was younger once

Today was like a holiday. I worked the morning from 6:30am until 12:30pm, so I had the rest of my day to do as I pleased. I wasn't rushed, I wasn't stressed and the best part of it all was it was a day of reminders. A day of subtle, yet reassuring, reflections.

Scents in the air filtered through my head and tickled my sense memory. I had vivid reminders of my childhood.....the salty smells of the pre-dawn morning air as I rode my bike to work, the smell of summer dew saturating freshly mowed lawns, that familiar scent of air-conditioned air mixed with coppertone sunblock in Front street tourist shops.

Even summer recollections of my later teen years resurfaced when I saw a boy in the bank wearing a preppy collared shirt, board shorts and flip-flops. I dated boys like that, what seems like, centuries ago. Memories of my "first time" even brought a simple, unaffected smile to my face. Life is like that sometimes. It just hits you and takes you right back.

I like that.

I like that real memories don't ever fade and that you can hang onto them for as long as you want.

I like that these kinds of memories enter your heart uninvited. They show up, make their presence known, take your entire being back in time and then reality ensues seconds later.

Snapshots of the past arrising to turn up the corners of our mouths and bring beauty to our eyes.

There's something to be said about the difference between trying to force happy memories into your thoughts and being caught off gaurd when they turn up unexpectedly. This may also be the answer to why some of us cry without warning. There has been some kind of outside influence that has kick started the memory engine. So therapeutic.

I was shocked to find memories everywhere I went today. Deep reminders in places I would least expect to find them.

For that, I say, thanks to my subconscious mind for encouraging these thoughts to the forefront of my brain today. THANKS BRAIN!