Memories. Let’s discuss our greatest ones! I believe these memories are anchored subconsciously in our minds. For example, if I smell gasoline anywhere other than at a gas station, I find myself transported back to my grandfather’s garage, where his broken tractors wait to be repaired. I can see through my mind’s eye, the wall of tools scattered in disarray. And if I were to lean around the corner in that shop, I would even be able to hear my papa’s gravelly voice gearing up to tell a tall tale. The colors are vivid and the sounds are unmistakable.
Later in life, I realized that food also leaves its memorable mark. Something I tasted way back when can quite vividly leave a lasting impression of like or dislike. Was there something you were forced to eat as a child that still makes you cringe to this day? For me, that particular food is lima beans. You know those bags of frozen mixed vegetables that contain the chalk-like green atrocity, laying patiently to sabotage my side-dish game? And you know what? My daughter loves the little offensive bean. She actually requests them in her favorite dish, Grandma’s beef and vegetable soup. If I partake, I painstakingly remove every single bean. There are few ingredients that evoke in me such disgust, and yet the emotions that surface are undeniable.