Think Back to an Interest Moment

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I am feeling a little melancholy this evening. Summer has ended and the trees are beginning to show signs of fall. Then it's Winter. There were a lot of fun things we did as a family this past Summer. I miss that.

So I am sitting here thinking about times in the past (childhood) where I was engaged in an interest. And these are memories that are so vivid that it almost feels like it was very recent rather than years ago. I thought we might like to share a particular memory or two from our pasts when we can vividly recollect doing something with an interest---not necessarily a special intense interest.

I selected one that comes from the Summer of 1978 while on vacation in Florida with my parents. I was getting ready to go into the 8th grade. We had just left Walt Disney World after spending 5 nights at the Contemporary Resort Hotel. We were spending a few nights at the Thunderbird Hotel in Treasure Island, Florida. I had bought a yachting magazine at a local store because I was fascinated by trawlers since I loved the movie Jaws and enjoyed the character of Captain Quint and his shark boat Orca (a Grand Banks trawler). Each night at the hotel, I would crawl into bed with that magazine and carefully scrutinize each yacht---trying to select the one whose features most closely matched that of the Orca. I can still feel the turning of those pages and the soft sheets of the bed as I embraced that magical journey.

I have a chapstick for my lips what has a strong flavour in it, and each time I smell it it reminds me of about 2 years ago when I used to speak to somebody whom I was obsessed with (actually had a crush on), and when I smell it I feel like I'm actually in that moment (even though it was 2 years ago, but a lot of things have changed since then, so it seems longer ago). I keep the chapstick in a drawer so I can always smell it, but I try not to smell it too often otherwise the smell won't remind me of that little time any more, if you know what I mean.

I remember March 5th of last year, when I went to go see the Tim Burton version of Alice in Wonderland. I was so excited that I spent all morning stimming while listening to my then-favorite song - "Ligger Med Varandra" by DJ Auzern. Even though my mom had to work that day, she took a two hour break in order to see the movie with me because she had promised me she would take me the first day it came out.

I remember riding in the car on the way home. My mom told me that she loved the movie because Alice had reminded her of me. She asked me if my imaginary world was like Wonderland, and I said it was. I loved the movie too, and it actually became my main special interest for the rest of that year.

Sometimes when I listen to "Ligger Med Varandra", I experience very strong feelings of nostalgia for that day. I also experience frequent bouts of sadness because my interest in Alice in Wonderland isn't nearly as intense as it was last year. If my obsession with Alice in Wonderland was a roaring flame last year, then this year it is a single, smoldering ember.

I wish so badly that my interest in Alice in Wonderland could go back to being as intense as it used to be. It is probably one of my most favorite special interests because it was something I shared with my mom. Another reason I keep clinging onto it is because last year was one of the best years of my entire life (not just for that reason, but in general), and I never want to forget how good it was because it will probably only get worse from here. In fact, this year was incredibly crappy in comparison to last year.