Triggers

The things that trigger memories are so interesting. Some are obvious, so not so much. Sometimes, once one memory is triggered, an avalanche of memories comes tumbling through your brain.

I was packing up my basement for an eventual move. I came across an orange box with Miss Piggy stickers all over it. The box is from a trip I took with Girl Scouts between 8th grade and Freshman year of high school. We were gone for two weeks. We were only allowed to pack one beer crate sized box. I found a beer crate box, and painted it orange and adorned it with Miss Piggy stickers. Here it is MANY years later (I currently have a daughter the same age I was when I took the trip)and I have saved the box. I cannot imagine packing for two weeks into a box this size. I wonder how many tantrums I threw trying to prepare for the trip.

Finding the box started an avalanche of memories. Riding in one of the leader's Jeep's from Michigan to Wyoming. One of my fellow scout's parents were chaperones, they had rented a camper that we took turns riding in. We stopped at the other leader's cousins farms and saw a bull named Patrick. We went to a rodeo and had to wear our vests IN PUBLIC. We went to Laura Ingalls Wilders home or something, saw Devil's Tower, Wall Drug, Mount Rushmore. The silly orange Miss Piggy box just created this flood of memories. It was such a wonderful trip. Days after coming across it, I had another memory flash this morning. I was putting lotion on and remembered another fellow scout shaving her legs in the dust and dryness of Wyoming with lotion and a razor. It was so gross because there was dust everywhere. But, we were only allowed a few three minute showers the week were we in Wyoming. It really was the only option available if you wanted hairless legs.

The magic of technology has put me in touch with my two Girl Scout leaders who in their youth took a bunch of teenage girls on a two week journey that spanned several states. One of my leaders uses a photo from that trip as her facebook profile photo. The other leader has photos from that trip in her facebook photo albums. I have reconnected with several other fellow scouts on facebook. I wonder if they think about that trip as frequently as I do. I wonder what triggers their memories of it.

My beloved mini van turned 100,000 miles this week. The memories of buying the van rush into my mind. Hitting 100,000 miles coincided with the van's 9th birthday. We bought the van because our old van didn't have enough chutzpah to make the journey from our at the time home in Colorado to my brother's wedding in New York. The van was my first new car purchase. I picked it out, test drove it and fell in love. I still love that car, although my driving allegiances are starting to sway to another car in our garage. When the can hit 100,000 miles, I gave the dashboard a rubdown and thanked the van for safely getting us where we need to be, so many times. We celebrated the 100,000 mile mark by going back to New York, to see Niagara Falls (again) and celebrate my brother's anniversary and my nieces 7th birthday.

Seeing Niagara Falls triggered a bunch of memories too. I have been there before with my kids. I have been there with Girl Scouts. I have been there with my parents. But the memory that was at the front of my mind was a quick stop there with marching band in high school. I can't even remember WHY we stopped there, but I have this snapshot of a memory in my head of being there with the band.

The troubling thing about memories is they seem slightly out of control. You don't seem to be able to adjust what goes into your memory, what stays, or the length of time something might choose to stay in your memory. You also don't seem to be able to recall memories at will, or control what will trigger an avalanche of memories pouring into your current day. I guess all we DO have control of is the material available to create memories for yourself, and for those around you. Of course, that is a bit scary! I know my kids have less than pleasant memories of me and some of my behaviors. But hopefully they are well balanced with good memories of all the wisdom I present them with and all the fun, cool things we have done together. What? I can dream that my kids memories will only possess GOOD memories of me, can't I? Well, maybe I will just be careful not to trigger the bad memories of me. :)