Memories Rushing Back

[sarah_hillcrest]

Do you ever get memories that you had forgotten come rushing back. It was the strangest thing I was looking for a bobby pin to put in my new wig the other day. My wife usually has a few of them at the bottom of this drawer floating around. I didn't see one and looked around and found a card with brand new ones on it. As I slid off one of the bobby pins I suddenly remember doing that in the past. All these memories came back, as a little kid I was fascinated by bobby pins because at least according to cartoon's you could pick any lock with them, so I was always taking my Mom's and trying to pick locks, but I remembered standing in front of her big mirror and putting them into my hair. I remember wishing I could have long hair and being annoyed every time they made me get it cut. I hated my hair has a kid, I always got the dorkiest haircuts, not short, not long, just weird. I always wanted long silky hair like the girls had, and I think I even asked once if I could grow long hair and remember my mom saying, "You don't want long hair."

[Aunt Kelly]

Sure do have those moments. Not surprisingly, it is a smell that will trigger some of the strongest memories. It's amazing, the things that are locked away in our brain that we aren't even aware that we had forgotten.

[Tracii G]

Its smells that cause memories for me.
Dirt mixed with blood and foggy early morning air
Some how those smells are comforting and frightening all at the same time.

[Kayliedaskope]

Radios are like time machines for me.
I hear a piece of music and think, "I was doing [this] at the time that song came out ...." or "That was one of my favorite songs back in high school..."

[Lisa Roberts]

Oh absolutely! My memories are triggered by certain smells and some music. Sometimes extremely old memories. The human brain is so amazing.
Lace and Smiles,
Lisa

[Sarah Doepner]

There are several things that will bring back memories, including talking about bringing back memories it seems. The scent of a particular lipstick will take me to those first times experimenting with my mother's cosmetics. From there I can remember the first times I fully dressed (and almost got caught). There are places that will bring back memories for me as well.

We fill our world with photographs and music that was popular when we were younger and we try in so many ways to capture those moments, I'm sometimes very surprised when an unexpected memory surfaces that is unrelated to all the effort made to save memories. Brains are odd things.

[Danielle Barton]

I have recently just given into my feminine side, I went out and bought an entire outfit. In the past I denied myself and how I felt for a long time, so as soon as I started to dress, lots of memories came back. Thoughts and memories I had associated with my female side had been repressed. Soon as I started dressing they came flooding back. I don't mind admitting it's been a bit of a roller coaster the last few weeks. Still not sure what all of this means.

[DIANEF]

Smells do it for me too. There are certain types of lipstick or foundation the smell of which reminds me of the first times I ever used make up a long long time ago. Some music has the same effect.

[Teresa]

Sarah,
I would agree with Tracii, smells are the biggest trigger, I always remember the smell of the net layers in full petticoats, and the slight rubber smell of a warm bra, preferably still being worn by a female !! Music comes a close second, hear an old track and how many memories come flooding back ?
I still have my old vinyls and a turntable , a few hours with those is like stepping into a time machine !

[Kayliedaskope]

Its smells that cause memories for me.
Dirt mixed with blood and foggy early morning air
Some how those smells are comforting and frightening all at the same time.

Ummm .... should I ask?

Maybe I've just been reading too much Stephen King stuff lately......

[Bobbi46]

Teresa, I am I thinking you might like a rubber bra?
The smell a rubber in a warm bra, mmmm warm rubber might remind me of tyre blow out let alone rubber underwear LoL

[sometimes_miss]

Sure. There are always going to be things we experienced in the past, that we, at the time, considered insignificant, yet, years, decades later, remember, and realize what happened.
For example; Amazon prime has the TV show 'That Girl', starring Marlo Thomas, and on a whim, a desire for some reminiscing, I've been watching it. The show came out right when I was going through my period of sexual confusion, when I believed that I was supposed to be a girl. Now, I can clearly see many things that had quite an impact on how I saw myself, as well as some lingering desires and preferences, all due to the desire at the time to emulate the character I was watching on TV.
Scent, also can inspire taking us back to a long time ago. A particular air freshener scent reminds me of the vacation place I went to as a kid, and a particular perfume reminds me of a girlfriend from over 40 years ago. Seems all it takes, is one tiny detail that we associate with something from the past, to bring those memories back front and center of our consciousness. And that trigger item? If that memory is powerful enough, for the moment at least, we often don't even realize what did it.

[Jaymees22]

Lately I've been remembering the oddest insignificant things, usually about work. Which is odd I retired 7 years ago. A trick I use to remember things in my past is to try and think what was I driving, I've owned a lot of cars over the past 50+ years. I agree that certain smells will trigger memories and there not always pleasant smells.

[Lana Mae]

Music, smells, even some words or phrases are stim enough for me! Some just come from nowhere when just sitting silent and doing something or not! Totally unrelated from any thoughts or actions! Weird! Hugs Lana Mae