the sights, the sounds, the smells

"memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose."

~From the television show The Wonder Years

when i close my eyes real tight, i can almost see my memories playing out in front of me, like sitting in the front row of my favorite movie.

the color is crisp. the soundtrack - stimulating.

i am lying on my back on a float. the sun is beating down. the waves rock me in a lazy fashion making subtle swishing sounds. and i am content.

i play this memory over and over again, like a child who watches her favorite Dora video for the nineteenth time and never bores of it.

when i hear a certain song, i am transported back in time and i can relive that moment in an instant.

i am sixteen years old. my second week of a new license. the radio is playing naked eyes "always something there to remind me." my girlfriend and i are blaring out the chorus, while studying cars at traffic lights, in search of cute boys.

my smile copies that of years ago.

and i hear the song over and over again in my head, like a tween who downloads his first song on itunes and never tires of it.

when i smell a particular aroma, it triggers a recollection of another untroubled time, one in which i would like to relive.

the freshly baked baguette reminds me of those small paris streets, vendors selling their favorite recipes. brightly colored flowers, and outdoor cafes with old men sipping espresso.

the memory so vivid i can taste it.

and i order that bread as often as i can, like an old lady whose grocery list never changes.

"a memory is what is left when something happens and does not completely unhappen."

~edward de bono