Have you ever walked into a place that immediately brings you back in time? Where your head spins from how familiar it all is, and the emotion and force of memory is so strong that you temporarily forget exactly what year you're in, how old you are, etc?
This happens to me in the shower.
I used to think this was pure coincidence, but I'm starting to wonder if every unfinished basement in the continental United States (or at least Michigan) is furnished with a build-your-own Durastall shower. Of the last four places I've lived in, three of them have been outfitted with this same plastic shower stall. Same knobs, same no-slip plastic flooring, all made complete with a plain plastic shower curtain chosen by somebody else in the house. Usually white or clear.
So I'll be washing my hair, lost in thought, and when I'm done washing my face, I'll open my eyes to find the exact same corner of the Durastall shower, lit more or less exactly the same as it was in houses previous by harsh, artificial lighting coming through the curtain. And my head is dropped completely, momentarily, into old memories. Is it October of 2006 on the Northeast side? Or, wait, maybe this is July of 2009 on the West side after splitting up with my ex-girlfriend. When all along it's 2012 on the Southeast side.
Not even sure how I feel about this. It's funny how time can loop backward, and I'm able to revisit previous versions of my life if only for the couple seconds it takes for my brain to catch up to reality. There's comfort there. It can be odd, though, having nostalgia creep in so unexpectedly when all I intended to do was get ready to go out for the night.
I think it'd be nice if the next place I live in has a full tub and shower. But if there's an unfinished basement, maybe it should be equipped with a plastic shower stall just to keep the possibility of time travel open.
-beanforest
p.s. the Etsy shop always keeps me pretty busy, but I've been working on some new stuff that's left me with even less free time than usual. If everything goes well in getting it finished, I should have some news to post hopefully in the next week or so. Pretty excited with how things are looking... More info as soon as possible! Updates will be posted on the facebook page.
Hi beanforest,
ReplyDeleteYes, I can so relate to your time travel basement shower experiences, but mine happens with certain scents. When they strike, I'm gone!
I can also relate to your laughing at inappropriate times, but I learned to suppress those at an early age, perhaps at birth. Although, as a teacher, I either let them slide or joined in!
Thanks for the reminder about recreational screaming at the heavens. I used to do quite a bit of that while playing racquetball where it was deemed okay for a woman to be screaming bad language whenever she felt like it. I need to find a way to do that again!
Look forward to more of your posts!
PS. As a teacher, I must comment again on your classic and perfect penmanship on your "Save Cursive" button and think everyone should run to your etsy shop, including myself, buy at least one and wear it proudly!
I get that same feeling if I ever have to use a launderette again. Get a sick sort of feeling that my Life has gone nowhere since the years I was in college, the years after when I couldn't get a job.
ReplyDeletep.s. I Love my badges you sent me.. so do the friends some of them were specifically chosen for.
Glad the buttons worked out, Annie, thank you!
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