Communication teachers are keen on the subject of memory. We know that it figures prominently in how communicators function--how they see themselves. When I taught communication courses I often had units on how memory functions, how to improve memory, and how memory influences our daily communication.
An interesting research finding about memory is the amazing influence that smell has on our memory. One study, for example, found that smell takes us back to earlier parts of our childhood than do other types of sensory stimuli. I have posted about smell and memory on this blog. You may have experienced the smell-memory phenomenon yourself. All of a sudden you smell something that brings forth images of your childhood. Maybe it's a recipe that your mother made. Maybe it's a perfume that was worn by a favorite grandmother. Maybe it's the woodsy odor of a forest that was near your home. Whatever it is, a smell can conjure up memories of a long gone time quicker and more potently than any visual or auditory image.
My brother demonstrated this for me recently when he visited from Davenport (and has written about the same phenomenon from his point of view on his blog). He arrived with a tiny container that held a small piece of doughy substance. When he removed the lid of the container, the odor of the little roll whisked me back to third grade.
I was with m
y Grandma Harriette and we were going to Miller and Paine Department Store's Tea Room in Lincoln, Nebraska, for lunch. On our way in, we always passed the Miller and Paine Bakery which was known for the most incredible cinnamon rolls I have ever tasted in my life. Each roll was a little gem and was totally encrusted in a layer of buttery, cinnamony goodness.
y Grandma Harriette and we were going to Miller and Paine Department Store's Tea Room in Lincoln, Nebraska, for lunch. On our way in, we always passed the Miller and Paine Bakery which was known for the most incredible cinnamon rolls I have ever tasted in my life. Each roll was a little gem and was totally encrusted in a layer of buttery, cinnamony goodness. "Do you know what this is?" asked Ken, as he waved the little box under my nose.
Just from the smell, I immediately answered, "Miller and Paine cinnamon rolls!" Right I was. My sister Chris got it right too. No amount of description could match the smell of these rolls
What smell instantly takes you back to a specific moment in your childhood?
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2 comments:
A couple of things. When I went back for my family reunion we stopped at the Italian grocery we used to stop at when we went to my grandmother's house. The smell is indescribable. Freshly made sausages and Italian Olive Salad, Olives. I went in there and it was like I was 12 years old again, walking in with my Mom.
There is an old fashioned candy, a kind of a breath mint called Violets. My Mom and my Godmother always had them in their purses. In fact my Mom's purse always smelled of Violets. When we were little they were given out before mass started or when we went for walks with my Godmother.
when I was in kindergarten,my favorite food is "tahu goreng" or in English "fried tofu".In Indonesia every day we eat rice 3 times.breakfast,lunch and dinner.So if breakfast i always eat fried tofu with vegetables and of course rice.
just want to share..hehhee
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