Yay for five senses!

To follow up with my feeling sentimental Wordless Wednesday post  from yesterday, do you guys have certain songs, smells, sounds, places that just take you back to yesteryear?  I have a lot of these and I am very glad for this.  These flashbacks were also a lot of life lessons that will come in handy as I navigate parenting children.

For example, anytime I hear Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight" song I flash back to being 16 and carefree.  I was dating a cute guy with a smile I used to call his Tom Cruise smile.  He was my first "serious" boyfriend and we dated nearly a year.   That was our song and I still think of him every time I hear it.  And I am glad for this because down the road when I have a daughter, I can remember this time in my life and empathize with her better when she thinks her heart is broken beyond healing and that she will never love again when her and her first boyfriend break up.

The smell of pine needles takes me instantly back to camping as a child on family vacation "up north" in northern Michigan.  We went every single year and I can still remember the smell of the pine needles and the crunch of them as I rolled around the floor of the tent.  Heck in grosser memories I still remember how disgusting the outhouses were.  Gag.  But these childhood family vacation memories make me want to give Kai the same things.  We took him on vacation to Destin, Florida and he loved the ocean and the outside shower.  He also has been to Blue Ridge, Georgia twice since he was born to see the mountains.  I hope even if we can't afford elaborate vacations down the road, that we still at least go camping somewhere as a family.  I just value my vacation memories so highly.  Oh and side note the Kid Rock "All Summer Long" song always makes me wonder how my life would have turned out if we hadn't moved away from Michigan when I was 12

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The smell of green apple takes me back to my dumb early 20's (and still makes me gag even to just think about it.)  Green apple pucker hang overs suck royally.  How is this a life lesson to help me raise my kids?  Well I guess if I realize my kid was out drinking one night and is hung over the next day, I can at least comfort myself with the fact that I turned out fairly well and had my share of stupid moments as a young adult.

A certain smell that can only be described as leather, strawberry conditioner, and sweaty horse make me instantly flashback to hot summer trail rides, good friends, and my beautiful mare Ellie.  I can still hear the sound of the leather saddle creaking and smell horse sweat and grass.  I hope that my children get to experience this whether it is by me owning horses again (oh please please please let this happen) or just by them taking riding lessons.  There truly isn't many better feelings than the sun on your head, the wind in your hair, and loping through an open field on a beloved horse.

If I hear the song "Yellow" by Coldplay or "Never Let You Go" by Third Eye Blind or smell a certain cherry scent, I remember my high school best friend.  We were inseparable and even stayed friends for quite awhile after college.  Heck if I looked him up today and called him crying, I am sure he would still talk me through my problems.   He was there for me through a whole lot of teenage angst and drama and we had fun even doing the stupid little things.  I mean one of the most fun nights we had was going from store to store and buying bouncy balls from the quarter machines.  (I had a bouncy ball collection.  Well still technically do at my parents house and had over 900 balls at one point.  Who does this?  Weirdo.)    I hope my children have someone that they know without a doubt will always be there for them and that they can just let loose and have fun with without ever getting themselves into trouble.

If I hear "Hanging by a Moment" by Lifehouse, I always remember  the first time Mr. Destructo told me he loved me.  Eating Gushers has this same affect on me.  The smell of leather jackets reminds me of our early days as well.  I am glad for this memory because honestly I hope my children find someone to marry and make a life with.  And give me adorable grand babies hahaha.  The song "Cotton Eye Joe" always makes me grin.  We danced to this song at our wedding and it was the highlight of my evening.   And another side note, I am listening to music as I type this and "Drive" by Incubus just came on and I flashed back to when Mr. Destructo and I were just starting to really get to know each other and were riding around in his car and this song came on.

A few other notable flashbacks I have are when I watch Toy Story or Monsters Inc, I always fondly remember a college friend.  We always had a shared love of Disney movies and Mario Kart.  Heck corn dogs, green ketchup, and kitchen fires also make me think of this particular person.  So do hubcaps and spinach if you are reading this unnamed friend haha!   If I ever see those little wax bottles with the colored sugar water stuff in them, I immediately think of a close friend my first few years of college.  I still miss trying to feed her birds gummie worms.  haha  I can't hear an Aerosmith song without thinking of a certain college friend. 

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I thank God every day for my five senses.  I can't imagine a life without them.  I am a very sensory oriented person and some of my best memories involve one or more of my senses.  Do you guys flash back to different points in your life because of one of your senses?

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