Sensory memory is a crazy thing. I turned 27 this week and I can still vividly remember an afternoon when I was six years old.
Sitting on the hot rod-iron chairs on our low and sun-bleached back porch. My friend was over at my house and we were having a snack. Whichever adult in my life thought it was a good idea to give us a can of Coca-Cola each and a bag of mini marshmallows, must have been feeling generous. Even though she’s a law obeying, and quite religious woman today, there was always a little streak of wild in my friend and it was her idea to fill our mouths with sips of Coke and pop a couple marshmallows in. That sickly sweet, bubbling and fizzing sensation comes back to me so clearly it makes my teeth feel fuzzy.
We swished the frothy concoction around in our mouths and turned it into a contest – seeing who could spit the wet marshmallows farthest off the porch and into the yard. Girls spitting range is not the same as boys, and at six years old we were pretty bad. Most of the mess must have ended up on the porch, though I can’t remember. I’m not sure how long we sat out there that day or if we did anything after or before. The only memory that sticks with me is the taste of the first few sips of lukewarm coke and the slimy marshmallows expanding and fizzing in my mouth.
Pretty gross. But pretty cool how clearly I can recall it. If only all memories were so easily brought forth!
