It's Only 40 Right ?!

Rocking those sweaters in the early 90's

Today's post is a brief nod to my awesome older brother Jeremy!

For him, this year's birthday is atop a hill of sorts.  Technically, most say it is the birthday that puts him over the hill (or OTH), but he's still as young as ever in my book.

Jeremy and I have plenty of memories of times together in our youth, teens, twenties, and thirties.  If I was better prepared, I'd have collected pictures to share from each of those decades ... but instead you get just a few pictures of Jeremy (and I ... and our other siblings too) from our high school days. 

Thanks for letting Charlie and I tag along
for your Senior Prom.  And thanks for
setting us up with our dates too!  :)

Jeremy, just for you, here is a short list of some memories I hope you will think fondly of:

Star Wars figurines, black and white movies, connecting basement bedrooms, bunk beds and tree-climbing (never again), throwing ice into the hotel pool (why did you answer the door?!), early morning seminary, the Babemobile, Senior Prom (for you), the Yellow house, the Brick house, playing cards in the hall at school (Card Club!), sword fights with anything we could find (pool noodles, those long leaves at the Orem house, etc.), MST3K (and later RiffTrax - let's go again soon, my treat!), rat tails, long hair, short hair, beards, bowling, staying up late watching satellite tv, old Nickelodeon shows (Out of Control, YCDTOn Television, Pinwheel - Stanley Sandwiches), board games (especially Sequence back in the early 2000's), Friends Scene It, and "why don't you move into our apartment?"

Thanks for supporting me before,
during, and after my mission!

Thanks for always going first in this life!  There are so many other memories that I can't wait to recall as we get the opportunity to reflect over the next 40 years.  I will always look up to you, even if I'll also always be taller.

Song Of The Day:

It has nothing to do with an OTH birthday.  But the song "Buffalo Stance" by Neneh Cherry is a nice Throwback Thursday song that will always remind me of Jeremy and times we spent together as teenagers.  I'll let you ask him for any more details, but I know he'll enjoy this blast from the (relative) past.  :)

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Why Do Some Memories Stick So Permanently ?

We all have memories that stick with us.  Of course the first kind you think about are probably special memories or experiences you had with people you really cared about.  I understand why those memories stick with us.  There's a natural reasoning for that.

I'm wondering about random situations that cause very specific memories to come to mind, but these are not important for any particular reason.

Do you have these or is it just me?

Every time I am sitting in a meeting at work, I remember vividly a conversation with a former manager of mine.  He told me that when he gets bored in a meeting he will play with his belly button.  Now why on earth would I remember that?!

There is a certain road I drive down about once a month (if that often).  Every single time I drive on that road, I remember a time on my mission (in Los Angeles) when I was driving through some puddles in the rain and inadvertantly splashed this cat with a HUGE wave.  No significance to anything, right?!

When I hear today's song of the day, it always takes me back to when I was barely a teenager, living in Greeley, CO.  I can clearly remember the way my room was set up and how I used to look out the window just daydreaming.  I know songs can bring back memories, but there was nothing particularly special about daydreaming in that house in those days.  It's just weird to me.

So why do some, seemingly worthless, memories just become permanently etched in our minds?  I worry that there is some "save the world" reason for these, but I can't piece them together at all yet.

Song Of The Day:
This song is just the song for today because it is one of the songs that always takes me back to the same (plain) moment in time in my life.  "Cherish" by Madonna wasn't even my favorite song back in my Junior High and High School days.  But more than any other song, it conjures clear images of days gone by ... but not necessarily any specific, or rather important, experiences.

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