grrlTravels

déjà vu to you

I had the strangest trip down memory lane today. It was like memory lane a la Willy Wonka.

It began with the second day of The Weather That Must Not Be Wasted. I hatched a brilliant plan whereby I would expend all of my surprising energy by trekking around over hilly terrain with two kids, one unwieldy stroller, and one heavy camera bag for hours. It sounded magical and off we went.

I took the kids to a nearby garden, in fact the world's premier horticultural display garden if their Web site is to be believed. It is a place I visited many, many times as a child. Too many times perhaps. I hadn't been in quite some time and the visits had dropped off from annual to once a decade.

But the trip there is familiar. Creepily familiar. As we drove down the last stretch of highway I started seeing buildings that I didn't know I remembered. The buildings began to stir memories. Most of the memories were of dreams that I used to have as a child. Nightmare type dreams. I would see a building, remember it from past visits, and suddenly realize that this building had figured prominently in nightmares long forgotten.

I have no idea. When I was in junior high I was obsessed with the idea of déjà vu. I found it fascinating and always wanted to understand WHY it happened. And I had the sense of déjà vu frequently. Now, not so much. I must admit I don't miss it either. It always gave me a strange sense of time shifting that I found uncomfortable. Today was like déjà vu on steroids. First, seeing the long forgotten but instantly recognized landmarks. And then the bits of dreams floating in and out of consciousness. It was odd, let's leave it at that.

Posted by grrlTravels at November 10, 2006 9:55 PM