What gives you the biggest sense of nostalgia?

[TravelingGal]

Feeling nostalgic today, so thought I'd pose this question....

 

[dragonfly411]

It's definitely smells for me. I mostly feel this with things related to my great grandmothers.

For Granny:
Cedar - she kept cedar jewelry boxes FULL of items she collected over the years. I inherited one and it has jewelery from her, crystals I grew in school, a painted egg my aunt brought me from Poland, a 2 dollar bill, pictures, movie tickets, an ivory key chain, coins, just all kinds of things. Every time I open it I smell memories of her.

She had a certain scent to her laundry. I wish I knew what she used. Her towels held the scent for years and years. I had one left until two years ago when SO accidentally used it as a grease rag, not realizing what it was.

Lemon - her house smelled like lemon pine sol

She wore Chanel


For Mother:

This is going to sound horrible, but moth balls. Her house was built in 1920, and still stands. All you ever smelled was old, mixed with dog because she ran a doggy daycare for all her retired friends who had dogs.

Also the smell of star crunch cookies, grits, and bacon. She would always give me star crunches (they're like chocolate caramel krispie cookie goodness). Every time we were there she'd cook us grits, eggs and bacon with biscuits and her home made jelly.

And rum. She drank coke and rum out of a coke glass every day almost. That's kinda how my family rolls

 

[soocool]

Songs, always songs from the 1970s for me. I get so teary eyed when I hear these 2 in particular:


This Magic Moment by Jay and the Americans - this was playing when I got my first kiss

Seasons in the Sun by Terry Jacks (I think he was a one hit wonder) This was played at a friend's funeral. He was 15 years old and drowned at a lake. Anytime I hear it I remember him.

Goodbye to you, my trusted friend.
We’ve known each other since we’re nine or ten.
Together we climbed hills or trees.
Learned of love and ABC’s,
skinned our hearts and skinned our knees.

Goodbye my friend, it’s hard to die,
when all the birds are singing in the sky,
Now that the spring is in the air.
Pretty girls are everywhere.
When you see them I’ll be there.

CHORUS
We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun.
But the hills that we climbed
were just seasons out of time.

Goodbye, Papa, please pray for me,
I was the black sheep of the family.
You tried to teach me right from wrong.
Too much wine and too much song,
wonder how I get along.

Goodbye, Papa, it’s hard to die
when all the birds are singing in the sky,
Now that the spring is in the air.
Little children everywhere.
When you see them I’ll be there.

We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun.
But the wine and the song,
like the seasons, all have gone.

Goodbye, Michelle, my little one.
You gave me love and helped me find the sun.
And every time that I was down
you would always come around
and get my feet back on the ground.

Goodbye, Michelle, it’s hard to die
when all the bird are singing in the sky,
Now that the spring is in the air.
With the flowers ev’rywhere.
I whish that we could both be there.

We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun.
But the stars we could reach
were just starfish on the beach

 

[TravelingGal]

Song for me too. Doesn't matter where I am when I hear it...all of the sudden, I'm back in time. I can close my eyes, feel the sun on my face, and nothing's changed...............

 

[MichelleCarmen]

One of mine, even after years of living on my own, is the sound of the dryer tumbling. lol Yes, the dryer even more so than music. Seems like that sound reminds me of one of those days my mom decided to be a mom. lol

 

[Skippy123]

Song for me too. Doesn't matter where I am when I hear it...all of the sudden, I'm back in time. I can close my eyes, feel the sun on my face, and nothing's changed...............

Yes, me too! So funny you mention this because a song woke me up and it reminded me of graduation and the a flood of feelings about my excitement for the future came through after hearing that song. Sometimes food does it for me too; like a certain food I haven't had in ages. Smells too but the song gives me the strongest sense of Nostalgia.

 

[MonkeyPie]

Songs for me, for sure. Old country always reminds me riding on long trips with my parents in the dark, listening to the Top 40 on the country station. I recently found a 90's station on Windows Media Player that plays all those old songs I always liked, and it was so much fun to listen to them. I was a kid again!

There are also a few songs I associate with certain people and events. Like my graduation song (Could Not Ask For More), Enter Sandman reminds me of my brother, as well as Cherry Poppin' Daddies. A couple techno songs remind me of my husband, as well as Etta James' "At Last". Ah. I love music.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Songs for me, for sure. Old country always reminds me riding on long trips with my parents in the dark, listening to the Top 40 on the country station. I recently found a 90's station on Windows Media Player that plays all those old songs I always liked, and it was so much fun to listen to them. I was a kid again!

There are also a few songs I associate with certain people and events. Like my graduation song (Could Not Ask For More), Enter Sandman reminds me of my brother, as well as Cherry Poppin' Daddies. A couple techno songs remind me of my husband, as well as Etta James' "At Last". Ah. I love music.

Hahaha Glad to know I'm not the only person on this site who knows the Cherry Poppin' Daddies. We use to go to their shows in Seattle

 

[lulu66]

before i saw there were choices, i was going to say being around friends that i've had forever. it seems like whenever 2 or more of us get together a) we just pick right up like no time has passed and b) we always start reminiscing.

but with the choices offered definitely hearing a certain song. there are so many that when i hear them i recall a specific time/place/person. i love music & have musical memories all the way back to my early childhood. "barbara ann" by the beach boys always makes me think about my mother, for example, because i remember sitting in the car with her singing that song at the top of our lungs while my dad ran inside to get something. i danced with my dad at my wedding to "into the mystic" by van morrison because when i was little my dad would always wash my hair in the kitchen sink & have the stereo playing. when that song would come on, he would ask me, "[lulu] who is this?" and i would say, "daddy, it's van the man." ....memories like that from then to now all because of music. aww, now i'm getting super nostalgic!

 

[princesss]

Definitely scent for me! I remember reading about a study that said that scent is the sense most strongly tied to memory (but of course now I can't remember where I read that!).

Sometimes the air will shift a certain way, and I'll smell something and instantly be back in Singapore - it's just for a second, but that wave of relief at being *home* hits me and I live for moments like that. Or I'll smell borscht or brown butter and onions and remember Christmases with my extended family as a kid. But it's always, always, always smells that make me nostalgic.

 

[Skippy123]

I thought of one that isn't on the list. Pictures! There are times I will pull out old pictures and remember things I forgot about. I love pictures!!!

 

[kenny]

I find that just a whiff of my late mother's cologne (or lilac flowers) brings back waves of childhood memories.

 

[Jennifer W]

I voted song, but it was pretty much 50-50 with scent. Both have the potential to be very evocative. There are a few songs that just seemed to define a moment in time, or have come to be associated with a particular aspect of my life. I listened to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers constantly when I was pregnant, it was almost a craving - now when I hear any of their stuff, I can feel my ankles swell and the nausea start up...

I've been on a bit of a perfume kick recently, assisted and enabled by Lorelei. Fragrances that my mother and grandmother wore can evoke a real nostalgia sometimes and I'm re-discovering some classics that have strong associations with particular memories.

Interesting thread!

 

[qtiekiki]

Song and pictures. I don't like strong scents, so I tend to not remember smells unless it's food.

 

[MonkeyPie]

Like my graduation song (Could Not Ask For More), Enter Sandman reminds me of my brother, as well as Cherry Poppin' Daddies.

Hahaha Glad to know I'm not the only person on this site who knows the Cherry Poppin' Daddies. We use to go to their shows in Seattle

Haha awesome! I would have loved to see them live. We used to play their Zoot Suit Riot cd on every trip we took and I would pretend to swing dance on the passenger seat. LOL.

 

[somethingshiny]

I was thinking smells originally, but songs bring back more memories. I remember the songs I listened to on our long trips, the tape in my walkman when I moved from TX to IL, the songs I danced to at school, prom song, songs that reminded me of DH, songs I used to kitchen dance with my sisters. Then I get more nostalgic when I remember the made up lyrics that my brother and I sang to classics. I hope my kids will have wonderful memories when they hear songs too.

 

[decodelighted]

Songs & smells are in a dead heat for me in terms of impact. Songs are far more *common* sources of nostalgia though. There are fewer smells that do it for me.

 

[HollyS]

Songs. Definitely.

I can remember exactly where I was, what I was doing, who I was with, what year it was, etc. when I hear a song from, say, 1965 to 1985.

DH has tried to best me in the "When was this song on a hit?" game. But I always win. It's like my life from six to 26 was set to a soundtrack.

 

[packrat]

I can't say any one thing the most. There are a couple songs that come on the radio now and then and really take me back. Crayons and erasers smell like school. Seeing my teachers out and about, my bus driver, the principal etc. (Still call them Mr./Mrs.) My classmates on FB. I'm dying to visit my old school sometime..I still know the layout in my head and it would be so fun!

Another big thing for my brother and I are the old cartoons and commercials from back in the day. We remember what channels they were on, times etc. He's big into buying the dvd's, and has been getting several for the kids too, which is fun for us to sit and watch and "ooh I remember this one!". He sends me links to old stuff on youtube all the time and it really makes us feel like kids again.

 

[charbie]

Definitely scent for me! I remember reading about a study that said that scent is the sense most strongly tied to memory (but of course now I can't remember where I read that!).

This is true your olfactory (scent) nerve is in a place in your brain that is close to where your emotions and memory are. Not many synapses seperate the two.
Im the same way with scents. Funny you mentioned smells taking you to a foreign country. Certain times after it rains, im brought back to a particular memory of walking down our hill to get to the bus in Switzerland.
I love sleeping in my moms bed. I love her scent. I also can recognize her breath as well.
Its the best feeling ever when I suddenly catch a whiff of something that brings on a great memory!

 

[athenaworth]

I voted going back to an old place that hasn't changed. I guess for me, I am innundated by songs and smells to the point that they lose their value to me (I still remember them fondly, but I've smelled them enough or heard them enough that they gain new memories), but going back to old places always makes me feel like I've gone back in time. They make me sad too. Everything's so much smaller and dirtier than I remember it.

 

[Italiahaircolor]

I think songs always remind me of place and times...but my strongest surge of nostalgia comes on the first *real* night of spring when it's cool, but not cold ...

My best friend and I used to go to a summer camp together every year. We were young, 14-ish when the tradition of our nightly walks began. We wanted to look "hot" for the summer, so we took to mild exercising. Every night, starting in spring, we'd lace up our shoes and go walking for hours. We'd talk about how excited we were for camp, school ending, boys we liked...everything. We'd been friends for years, but those nights were just so full of possibility and anticipation, they don't compare to much else. We were only a few years away from "real life" but we were going on an adventure, and it was experience only she and I would share.

On the first night of spring I still put on my shoes and go for that long walk. She and I no longer speak, and it breaks my heart, but it's the one time I allow myself to have a "conversation" with her in my head. I probably sound crazy, maybe I am. But I miss her the most then and I feel connected to way we were.

 

[yennyfire]

Definitely songs...my first love was a Norweigan I met at a summer program when I was 17 (I live in the US). To this day, whenever I hear "Leavin' on a Jetplane" I think of him and get teary eyed...it nearly broke my tender young heart to get on that plane and come home. He was (and still is!) quite a guy!

 

[yssie]

For me - it is what I feel, especially the weather.

Walking outside on a cold, sunny day with a brisk breeze, I remember having porridge in the morning before school as a primary schooler in NZ.

Outside on a hot rainy day I inevitably remember walking with my mum down the streets at the beginning of monsoon season in India, and jumping over whatever puddles I could.

Standing in front of an open window very early in the morning, right as the sun starts to rise, I remember standing in the balcony at my grandparents' apartment in India early in the morning behind the clothes hung up to dry, listening to the wind rustling the coconut tree leaves and waiting for the boy on the cycle who brought milk and butter to the temple at the end of the road for the daily pooja to blow his horn four times, just like always. I never met him - I barely even saw him as he rode by, but I stood and listened for that horn whenever I could.


Photos, smells, sights - they make me remember specific episodes that play inside my head like short movies. When the weather is just so, though, it is so different - like feelings brought to life all over again.

 

[Dancing Fire]

songs...and when i drive by the old neighborhood where i grew up.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Songs. Definitely.

I can remember exactly where I was, what I was doing, who I was with, what year it was, etc. when I hear a song from, say, 1965 to 1985.

DH has tried to best me in the "When was this song on a hit?" game. But I always win. It's like my life from six to 26 was set to a soundtrack.

The Beatles...

 

[Tacori E-ring]

scents. Maybe b/c those seem to sneak up on me when I am least expecting it.

 

[NOYFB]

Seasons in the Sun by Terry Jacks (I think he was a one hit wonder) This was played at a friend's funeral. He was 15 years old and drowned at a lake. Anytime I hear it I remember him.

Goodbye to you, my trusted friend.
We’ve known each other since we’re nine or ten.
Together we climbed hills or trees.
Learned of love and ABC’s,
skinned our hearts and skinned our knees.

Goodbye my friend, it’s hard to die,
when all the birds are singing in the sky,
Now that the spring is in the air.
Pretty girls are everywhere.
When you see them I’ll be there.

CHORUS
We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun.
But the hills that we climbed
were just seasons out of time.

Goodbye, Papa, please pray for me,
I was the black sheep of the family.
You tried to teach me right from wrong.
Too much wine and too much song,
wonder how I get along.

Goodbye, Papa, it’s hard to die
when all the birds are singing in the sky,
Now that the spring is in the air.
Little children everywhere.
When you see them I’ll be there.

We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun.
But the wine and the song,
like the seasons, all have gone.

Goodbye, Michelle, my little one.
You gave me love and helped me find the sun.
And every time that I was down
you would always come around
and get my feet back on the ground.

Goodbye, Michelle, it’s hard to die
when all the bird are singing in the sky,
Now that the spring is in the air.
With the flowers ev’rywhere.
I whish that we could both be there.

We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun.
But the stars we could reach
were just starfish on the beach

My name is Michele and my mother always used to call me "Little One", so a big DITTO to this!

 

[Dancing Fire]

Songs, always songs from the 1970s for me. I get so teary eyed when I hear these 2 in particular:


This Magic Moment by Jay and the Americans - this was playing when I got my first kiss

before i was born...

 

[Kaleigh]

Songs, Earth Wind and Fire, Fleetwood Mac, etc.... Too many to mention.

Childhood treats. I was on the phone with Elizabeth who raised me, making sure she's ok in this cold. Just ordered her a new electric blanket. She's staying with her sister for the time being.

I told her about this thread, she gets a kick out of what is being discussed.

So on behalf my my dear Elizabeth:

It was all about the food...

Her sweet tea
Chocolate chip cookies
Chicken salad to die for yummy
Grilled cheese sammies when I was sick
Hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows..

And on occasion we would run off to the store and buy tons of candy when my parents were out for the night!!! I'd sit in her room and watch TV and eat it all!!

She's the best, so my nostalgia comes from anything involving her.

She was the best at pulling pranks... But that's for another thread.....