November 23, 2009 at 9:43 am
Ever since I got my omni-present headache, several people have told me that they think of me whenever they get headaches. At first I thought this was bizarre, and sort of sad. I hate to be associated with someone else’s pain. Then I realized, it’s actually rather normal to associate a place or a thing or an idea with someone else. For example:
- Whenever I see the almond butter at Trader Joe’s I think of Shauna (aka DietGirl) and my failed attempt to smuggle it into the UK for her.
- If I see Spider-man on a lunch box, a pair of kids gloves, or the cover of a comic book, I think of my old boss, whose office was decorated with Spider-man paraphernalia.
- If I see, eat, or smell a cupcake, I think of Rachel who blogs at Cupcakes Take the Cake.
- If I drive by a certain hospital downtown or hear about it on the news, I think about a friend I had to visit there unexpectedly. (She’s doing much better now.)
- When I visit a public garden or greenhouse, I think of my mom, who loves flowers.
- In LA, I walked past a stall at the Farmer’s Market that only sold hot sauce, and thought of my brother who has never eaten a food he found to be too spicy.
It’s funny to think how these associations affect how we see the world. Two people could be walking down the street, but one of them will have a series of memories triggered by an object that holds no meaning to the other person. When I explore a new town or city, it’s empty of any meaningful associations for me. The buildings and people are all complete blanks. But soon enough something happens, even if you’re only in town for a day, which is why I will forever associate the Santa Monica Pier with a car accident. It’s odd to think how we all have a series of private notes and memories appearing in our head like a pop-up video at the sight or smell of something familiar.
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Claudia • November 23, 2009 at 2:07 pm
I too will always associate Venice with my first car accident. I live in California, was going to visit for the first time with a car full of friends. I never made it there as my car was totalled and we had to find a way back to our town (over 3 hours away) with all of our dance gear. I do not look forward to going there ever again.
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jennywenny • November 23, 2009 at 2:40 pm
What a shame, I associate the santa monica pier with my dear friend sean, who I met up with on his last day in LA after a frantic 6 week assignment as a sound engineer!
I have to say that I generally associate the LA area with traffic jams and miserableness though!! I know there are gems there, and its only 2 hours away but I try to keep my distance for the most part!
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dietgirl • November 24, 2009 at 4:29 am
I still feel bad about the dosh wasted on that precious AB! i hope the customs dudes choked on the chunks :P
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Corine • November 24, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Hi Pasta Queen — what have you tried for your headache? Probably everything known to man or woman….. but I’m just curious because I also had rampant headaches and finally found acupuncture — and what relief!! That’s been about a year and a half ago, and even though I get occasional headaches now, they’re nothing like the ones I had before.
Corine
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