Journey Reminders

Have you, like me, come across something that reminds you of an event or person on your journey?  It happened to me…again.  We live in the Pacific Northwest, where it rains a lot.  I grabbed an umbrella from the car to go into the house.  Later, I was putting it away, and I saw on the bottom of the handle “Mr. J.”  That is what my middle school students called me when I was teaching many years ago.  Just as dominoes tip over and contact the next in line, that umbrella brought memories back to me.  It nudged me to remember other memories.  My first thought when I saw “Mr. J.” on that handle was my eldest son.  I taught history, and a year after I left the school, my son took over teaching the same topic in the same room.  What did they call him?  Yep, “Mr. J.”  The first time I substituted for him, a student came up and asked, “Are you the original Mr. J.?”  My name had been stolen, or at least borrowed. 

One day, while I was subbing, a student came up to me and asked, “Mr. J., how old are you?”  I smiled and said, “I’m so old that when I was born, the Dead Sea was only sick." His eyes got big as he exclaimed, “Wow!” (If you heard that joke before, you’re better off than my poor wife, who hears them repeatedly. It’s a small sacrifice to be married to me). I smile as I think about that encounter, and I am grateful to have many more.

Life is a mixed bag; sometimes the memories are sad or difficult.  I call those “The Growing Kind.” 

Reminders can trigger us, especially in grief.  It could be a sight, sound, smell, or even touch. When the stories are good, we sometimes like to have a physical item to help us remember.  They are part of our collective story. 

_______________________________________________________

What about you?  Do you see reminders occasionally that bring back memories?  Care to share one with our readers?  Just email me, Wally, at journeyintostory@gmail.com.  500-700 words.  I’ll get back to you if we can use your story.