Recently, I was waiting for a portion of chips to be given to me at the local chip shop. It’s a greasy and kind of disgusting little place really… Yet when I’m there I always feel very sentimental and even a little wistful. Why is this? It is just a chip shop that shouldn’t hold any kind of value. The thing is, that the first time I remember going there was back in 2012 – around that time, a friend of mine was away and I’d always have a nice long chat with them online when I got home. It was a summer then and a time I’ll always remember fondly.
While I was there, it got me thinking of all the things that are sentimental reminders for me. It’s a long list:
- Nando’s: The restaurant I’ve visited with almost all of my very best friends (and a fair few other people too.) A thousand sentimental memories are tied to this delicious restaurant.
- Magic Stars: You know those delicious star shaped chocolates? Well, they’ll always remind me of a particular friend and a particular time. I wrote about it in full once before.
- Churros: I just realised all of these things are based on food. Hmm. Back in 2015, I had a very nice Christmassy day with my friend Mairi in Winter Wonderland and they’ll be forever tied to that day for me.
- Star Trek: The Next Generation: Not food now. Back in 2012, I started watching Star Trek: The Next Generation with a friend of mine. Since then, we’ve seen, maybe, five episodes. Circumstances have changed, so we can’t see each other to watch them anymore. Nonetheless, the show will always be associated with them in my mind and since I started it with them, I will finish it with them, no matter how long it takes!
- To Kill a Mocking-Bird: Back in the period of time between 2009 and 2011, I had a very good English teacher. She gave me a lot of encouragement with my writing and was generally a very caring and supportive person. She said that certain aspects of my writing were similar to those of Harper Lee’s, so she suggested I read To Kill a Mocking-Bird. I did and I loved it and I’ll always associate it with the teacher whom I miss.
- Squirrels: Last summer was an especially good time in my life. I remember strolling through the park with my friend Sophie on one sunny evening and she showed me that it was possible to attract squirrels and make them come near you. I had no idea, but I was very excited and I’m always reminded of that when I see them in the wild now.
- Trusty Water Bottle: An obvious one. Here’s a blog post on all of my Trusty Water Bottle memories. It should be quite a bit longer now.
- Professor Layton: My old friend David was a big fan of the Professor Layton games. He’d often recommend them to me and even play me music from them (which was very good.) Last year, I finally got around to playing one of them – it was a very emotional experience for me. I don’t get to see David these days, so the music was something I hadn’t heard since the time of seeing him regularly. Plus, David was a big fan of puzzles. He’d always have them for me. Playing the game, then, was like a digital version of spending time with David.
I’ll stop myself there. Basically, I don’t seem to be able to go through a single day without something provoking a strong emotional response from me, as so many things make me remember something which happened in the past. What is brings out a sentimental reaction from you?
