Memory Triggers

I saw a picture that someone posted right before the 4th of July.
It brought back so many memories.
Under the picture were a few words.
This is how we celebrated the 4th of July.

The picture was so familiar to me.
Anyone my age would remember.
The picture was of a bike wheel.
Just looking at the picture brought a sound to mind.

The 4th of July usually meant neighborhood parades.
If there were neighborhood parades, there was sure to be bikes.
If there were bikes, there was going to be red, white, and blue crepe paper.
Along with the crepe paper, there was going to be playing cards.

The playing cards were attached to the spokes of the bike wheel with clothespins.
Everyone’s mother hung laundry outside to dry, so clothespins were easy to find.
As we pedaled our bikes, the playing cards would flap against the wheel.
It made the greatest sound.

Get a few of us on our bikes and the sound was quite loud.
The clothespins held the playing cards fast.
The crepe paper, that was woven through the spokes, would eventually fall off.
They were the sights and sounds of the holiday.

Nostalgia.

I went with a dear friend to a garden cafe.
We walked around the store with unusual garden items.
Many were out of our price range.
However, it was delightful to look around and get ideas.

As we were leaving, I smelled a familiar smell.
I caught a glimpse of a wisp of smoke out of the corner of my eye.
It was coming from a large planter.
Oh, look! Do you remember those? I asked my friend.

Punk sticks, I said to my friend, hoping I remembered the name correctly.
We used them all the time, she said.
The punk sticks were in the dirt of  the planter.
The punk sticks were burning with the familiar smell from my childhood.

Nostalgia.

My youngest daughter saw sandals in the store with the bullseye.
Those sandals were popular when I was in high school.
I often remark that I should have saved my wardrobe from back then.
It seems like trends return after they fade away for a while.

Nostalgia.

Music I listened to, on albums I saved my money to buy, is now considered classic rock.
Vintage shops obviously have clothes from earlier, gentler eras.
Vintage shops also have clothes that my generation wore many years ago.
Everything seems to come around again.

With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord: “He is good; his love toward Israel endures forever.” And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away. (Ezra 3:11-13)

The Babylonian army had come in 50 years before.
The Babylonian army left Jerusalem burned and pillaged.
Many of the Israelites had been exiled from their homeland.
The emperor Cyrus offered the Jews a chance to return to their land.

A foundation was laid for a new temple.
Great shouts of praise were heard.
However, the older people remembered the glory of the former temple.
The foundation for the new temple was nothing like the original.

Amid the shouts of praise, there was weeping.
Nostalgia.
There was weeping because this would not be like the original temple.
The older people were sad.

The sounds of praise and weeping were mixed together.
No one could distinguish one from the other.
It all sounded the same.
Nostalgia for the good old days was overwhelming.

Punk sticks and playing cards in bike wheels bring back sweet memories.
Seeing clothes that have come back in fashion makes me smile.
Nostalgia has its place.
We just have to keep those feelings of nostalgia in perspective.

It is good to remember.
It is necessary to move forward.
God is good.
God is good all the time.