You ever go to a restaurant and just go “Dang, I remember having this back when I went to...” No? Maybe it’s just that I have traveled a lot, but let me tell you something; food makes memories.
Like most, I don’t remember much of my childhood. Of course, there’s the friends you played with, the old house you grew up in, the uncles and aunties who constantly used you as a good or bad example for their own kids. Ok, that last one maybe not so much for everyone, but the point still stands that not all memories can be recollected. For me though, food helps me remember a lot.
Having some pineapple every now and then reminds me of my trip to Aruba when I was 8 and I just sat in the pool eating pineapples all day. Having some alfredo fettuccine reminds me of my trip to Italy when I was 10 where I kept going back for seconds, thirds, and fourths of the yummy pasta. Bad pizza reminds me of the free food I got on the college tours my family went on for my sister back in 4th grade.
There’s even the memories of just shenanigans with friends. Having the firecrackers popsicles reminds me of the days I played cops and robbers after school and went to the ice cream truck with the money we were supposed to use for lunch.
Not to say people should just start memorizing what they eat and when. But looking back on memories in this way is definitely refreshing. It puts you in the moment and you can almost visualize everything happening around you. In some cases that may be the sounds of the waves hitting the beach next to you, the smell of a kitchen, the heat of the sun, or even how empty your pockets felt after buying that meal. That last one’s personal, but everyone’s felt that at some point.
Memories are something everyone reminisces on at some point in their life. Foods for me are just the little bookmarks in the story of my life. They mark the segments on the timeline I want to remember and cherish and look back on.
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