The third cup

Hi neighbors. Grab some coffee and sit a spell. I hope all the businesses in Vernon County have submitted their written history and photos to be included in the 2005 Vernon County history book.

I'm not certain if a final name has been selected for the book or not, but several have been discussed.

Today has a funny way of becoming yesterday pretty quickly. As I get older it seems there's more history of my life to remember than a future to anticipate. You know you're getting older when almost everyone in your parents' generation have died. I suppose a way to tell you actually are "old" is when the same starts happening to too many of your own generation.

It's odd what makes us bring memories to mind. I've read that smells are the strongest triggers for memories. Maybe that's why people buy so many scented candles that smell like pumpkin pie, cinnamon apples and spring flowers.

Don't you wonder what memories scents like "high-school locker room" or "fast-food drive-through window" would inspire? Maybe someone should invent candles that smell like places we want to remember -- or can't forget.

We all have pictures of favorite pets, but how many of us would buy a "wet dog" scented candle? None of us would spend money for a "cat's first meeting with skunk" candle I'll bet.

Maybe some memories are best kept confined to less-perfumed cues. Girls collect things. Boys never notice what girls are collecting while they are boys. When they get married as men they are amazed at the extent of some of their wife's collections, especially those that they have to find storage space for.

Girls always keep fancy paper table napkins from parties. That's why it's a good thing boy's never use their napkins. That way the girl can use one during the evening and still have one clean and neat to take home. Ribbons from gifts are a big collection item as well. Scraps of paper with notes from classmates, charms for a bracelet, movie or concert tickets and, of course, pressed flowers, are all kept by girls either in a candy box, shoe box, jewelry box or sometimes, scrapbook.

Unless they get lost or tossed during a woman's life, she can tell you where that box of treasures is and usually relate the history of each trinket.

Of course everyone saves photos. Boxes and boxes and rolls and rolls and scrapbooks and, yes, more scrapbooks -- of photos. It's hard to believe there was a time when taking a photo was a grand event that required superhuman effort on everyone's part to accomplish successfully.

Have you ever looked at "old time" photos with, well, "old-timers" on it? Have you noticed how sternly everyone looks at the camera? I've often wondered if all the people back then were so stodgy or if they all just hated the camera man. Looking at the clothes they were wearing might explain a lot.

No T-shirts and sweat pants in those photos! Every shirt is pressed, every dress is without wrinkles, and every pair of shoes shine like a new saddle. These people have every right to be disgruntled. They certainly must have felt uncomfortable.

When we remember they had to go through great efforts to stay clean and wrinkle free in a world with no spray starch, electric irons, automatic washers and dryers, and no permanent press -- their appearance is remarkable!

We need to remember that they may have been "holding that pose" for more than 20 minutes waiting on the dust to settle, the powder to dry, or the camera man to get them in focus.

If the picture contains children, that involved another set of problems. This was before the age of duct tape and super glue, so who knows how they kept the children still for 20 minutes?

Anyway, the next time someone wants to take my picture and my hair is blowing, my buttons are off center, one pants leg is folled shorter than the other and I'm wearing my old sneakers -- I'm going to smile!

I don't want people a hundred years from now thinking I didn't enjoy the freedom of having a "snapshot" taken at a moment's notice. I certainly wouldn't want them to think I was mad at the photographer.

Maybe instead of inventing home movies, someone should invent scratch and sniff photography.

Until the next time friends remember, however you save your memories, share them after you save them.