Time Travel

OK, so despite my love of the time travel concept in books/movies/tv, I don't really think it's possible. Fun to talk about, fun to think about, fun to theorize about, yes. But possible? No. Not so much.

But isn't it interesting how certain things seem to transport us back in time? Smells can remind us of grandparent's houses or holidays. Finding old clothes in your closet can take you right back to where and when you bought it, or some special day that you wore it.

The biggest transporter for me is music. Nothing takes me back to another place and time faster than the soundtrack I associate it with. Just this week, the transporter was Elton John's The One.

I moved to Johnson City in the fall of 1992. I bought The One sometime that fall, and I associate the purchase with my brother (apart from the Charlie Peacock incident, he has always been a great recommender of sweet tunes.) I don't know if he bought it for me, or just recommended it , or maybe just had it playing in the truck during visits and I liked it. Whatever the reason, I associate this album with Paul. But I digress.

I was living in an apartment in south Johnson City, and working as a help desk agent. Mark and I were not dating at the time, but he was my supervisor and I had a major crush.

At some point that fall, the fam met up at some place in western North Carolina for a weekend getaway. The hotel we stayed at was reminiscent of the hotel from The Shining: very nice, but just a wee bit creepy. Paul and I went out one of the nights that weekend to see Dracula (Gary Oldman/Winona Ryder) at a local theater. I bought a cool black hat at a general store-type place (The Mast Store maybe? Is there such a place?)

Mom also came up for a visit that fall. She took me to Kroger and taught me all she could about grocery shopping and cooking for one. She also took me clothes shopping and bought me two wool blazers (one bright purple and one with purple/black/red checks). They were so cool. I wore them with jeans and black cowboy boots and (a few weeks later) the black hat.

And while all these things were happening, The One was playing in the background. Because as soon as I heard it again this week (I bought the remastered version from iTunes last weekend), all of those memories came back. Like they had just happened. Like I was back in 1992 again. The One, The Last Letter, Dark Street: all of the songs took me right back to 1992. I remembered exactly how it felt to to be single, to be young and clueless, and to be independent. I wouldn't want to go back, but it was nice to be able to visit for just a bit.

Maybe time travel is possible after all.