- Marc is showing me his favorite blanket.
- Matthew has just informed me he has no intention of wearing clothes at the park. I wonder why 3 year olds all seem to revert to a firm nudist philosophy after spending the first couple of years pretty ambivalent about clothes?
- Miriam is demonstrating that her favorite and best word is "Cheese."
Janene lives on the Air Force base. As an honored guest there, they let me fly one of the planes.
Leaving was bittersweet. My roommates from sophomore year in college may remember Printer Man: Alison's talking printer that spoke in a stale electronic voice to notify you when printing was complete, or when it was time to replace the paper or ink. Naturally (...naturally???), it became a running joke in our apartment that Printer Man was my one and only love. *Swoon.* Alas, Printer Man and I never dated. But since then, Printer Man has been followed by a select but compelling group of other inanimate one-and-only-loves, including the Wooden Doorstop Man in Ghana, and now the plastic Crosswalk Reminder Guy on my sister's streetcorner. We shared tender goodbyes before I left Arkansas. 
I may never see him again. But my street-crossing habits are forever changed.
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The surprise of the weekend came when Janene started apologizing, saying "I have your favorite old Smurf quilt here from when we were kids, and I'm sorry I haven't given it back to you all these years." I had zero recollection of a favorite old quilt, let alone a Smurf quilt.
Then she pulled this out of the closet and suddenly all the memories of it flooded back. 
The day our Mom took me to Western Drug (our podunk town's pharmacy/books/decor/taxidermy/fabric store of choice) and let me pick out cloth for her to make into a quilt of my very own. How I carried it around everywhere. How I took it up on the roof once to watch a meteor shower with my Dad. How I threw up all over it once when I had stomach flu. How Smurfette was my beauty icon.
It's funny how something can trigger memories so instantly, so powerfully. Do you have any memory triggers like this?
The smell of nacho cheese Doritos always makes me think of a school field trip we took to an indian ruin site in 4th grade. I twisted my ankle and had to sit back on the bus eating my sack lunch while the rest of the class hiked in for a picnic.
ReplyDeleteHmmm... how about a blog post triggering memories of printer man? I'm glad you've found yet another replacement for printer man (who will be next?) and more importantly that the smurf quilt has found its rightful owner. And, Western Drug reminds me of Bomberger's in Pennsylvania. Every time I went there I found a new little gem. Who needs Target when you can get greeting cards, wasp killer, cutesy picture frames, a new shirt, and a tractor all at Bomberger's?
ReplyDeleteOh Alison, it makes me feel good to know you miss Printer Man, too.
ReplyDeleteI actually thought the memory trigger that you'd mention would be how the sound of laundry running in the dryer reminds you of your childhood bedroom and thus helps you sleep at night.
Also, Bomberger's sounds EXACTLY like Western Drug! A magical nostalgic place that sells paint thinner, women's jewelry, and firearms all on adjacent aisles.