Memory Lane

Isn’t it funny how catching a whiff of a scent (in this case a paper factory that kind of smells like brussel sprouts) or traveling on a road at dusk can remind you of long forgotten memories?  

I drove to Hanover tonight to briefly meet up with one of the sweetest girls I know.  I’ll share what was particularly sweet about Michaelann tonight in a future blog posting.  ;)  As I drove home after bidding goodbye to my sweet friend, I recalled so many other evenings I had made this same trek from Hanover & Spring Grove back over to York.  I remembered the Homecoming Dance I helped chaperone with the math teacher I was dating in the high school one fall and how warm the bonfire felt in the cool autumn night.  The gas prices at the Rutters gas station on the circle are still the lowest prices around and I smiled as I vividly recalled the friendly server at Genova’s as a friend and I talked late one night over yummy Italian food.  Heading closer to Rt. 30, I remembered how my former roommate and I had made a dash for the car with wet pup in tow as we got caught in a storm at Dunedin Park after work one spring but rainy evening.  Back in West York, my hair never did look so good as it did when I was a regular at George’s Hair Salon thanks to Natalie.  The familiar rise in the hill as my car crept up the slight incline of my old street served as a tactile reminder that I was almost home.

Yes, it’s amazing how the things we see, hear, touch, taste, and feel can trigger moments from another time in us.  When I drove past Snyder’s Pretzel factory, I instinctively scanned the red scroll on the sign.  The red letters that flashed on the screen often share an inspiring message.  Tonight’s saying was, “My eyes are the ocean where my dreams are reflected”.  What an interesting expression!  I usually think of individuals chasing their dreams or looking outwards at what they are trying to achieve.  This expression reminds me that we often have to look within ourselves to fulfill our dreams.  We need to keep trying and striving for what it is we most desire within our inner most beings.  This line of thought reminds me of one of my favorite (old school) Mariah Carey songs.  Hmm, what is your take on this expression?